THE Essex and Herts Air Ambulance has unveiled its brand new £6.5million helicopter after a three year search.

The Agusta Westland 169 was unveiled to the public at Hylands House, in Chelmsford, on Monday.

It is the charity’s first purchased helicopter as all previous aircraft were leased. The majority of the £6.5million funding was provided by public donations.

The charity wanted to give something back to its supporters - ensuring as many people as possible could share in the excitement of the new addition to the fleet before it goes into operation.

Jim Lynch, chief pilot at the air ambulance’s base in North Weald, has flown helicopters for 20 years including in the RAF. He said the latest helicopter is a welcomed addition.

He added: “We get about six or seven jobs a day split between the bases at North Weald and Earls Colne, so this aircraft will get about three or four calls a day.

“We can get called to a number of incidents, such as falls, people unconscious, and major traumas such as car crashes.

“We can then go to a number of hospitals depending on what is best.”

A versatile, new generation twin engine light helicopter, the 4.8 tonne Agusta Westland AW169 produced by Leonardo has been designed in response to the growing market demand for an aircraft that delivers high performance, meets all the latest safety standards and has multi-role capabilities.

It has a number of new technology features in the rotor system, including variable speed main rotor and advanced blades, engines, avionics, transmission and electric power generation and distribution systems including APU mode.

The new helicopter is larger than previous models and can also fly 30 knots faster, with a top speed of 150 knots (just under 200mph).

Paramedics for the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance have also worked hard on the design of the interior, personalising the space so that they can grab their medical bags quickly and efficiently when they leave the aircraft.

Mr Lynch said: “We cover all of Essex and Hertfordshire and also get sent out to surrounding counties and London if we are needed.

“Landing in some urban areas can be difficult, including Stevenage and the train station at Harlow.

“We work as a team to find a place to land and have criteria the site has to meet, such as making sure there are no trees and overhead power lines.

“Landing on roads such as the A12, M11 and M25 can be challenging, but we work with the police to make sure both lanes of traffic are closed so that we don’t cause any crashes.

“We do sometimes get sent out but the person is taken by land ambulance, but this comes down to what is best for the patient and what information the caller gave to the emergency services.

“It is better that we are called and aren’t needed than we don’t attend and we are.”

The new helicopter is due to come into service for the charity in July, after the paramedics and crew are fully accustomed to it and the equipment.

As well as visiting local schools, it will also be landing in public areas so people can see it up close and meet the lifesaving crew.

A session will be held at Waterside Farm Sports Centre, on Canvey, today from 2pm until 3pm. The air ambulance will also be at King George’s Park, in Rayleigh, from 12.30pm until 1.30pm on Friday.

Everyone is welcome to attend these events.

For more information or to keep track of the helicopter location on tour, you can visit helitour.ehaat.org