19-Sep-2012 Source: HeliHub.com
Bond Air Services have delivered Eurocopter EC135T2e G-HEMN to East Anglian Air Ambulance on Monday 17th September. The helicopter is fully night-compatible for the time when EAAA commence NVG operations as planned – reportedly in December assuming training and approvals are in place by then.
EAAA commenced operations hurriedly with Bond in February 2011 after their previous operator got into difficulties and had its Air Operators Certificate suspended. Bond initially put two ageing Bo105s into this contract, and in August 2011 acquired/leased an early build EC135 from Germany’s ADAC to replace one of them.
When EAAA signed a seven year contract with Bond in November 2011, the press release stated that a new EC135T2e would be on force in July 2012, and an EC145T2 in December 2013. With the EC145T2 not yet certified, it’s too early to comment on whether the in-service date for that aircraft is still accurate – but the EC135T2e is now present, albeit two months later than expected.
Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com
Photos (c) 2012 of Dave Haines / FlyGloster.co.uk