AIRBORNE life savers are now in the final stages of training before taking over two new high-tech emergency helicopters.

The final countdown has begun for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as it switches over to two £6m Airbus H145 aircraft.

The charity, with bases at Topcliffe near Thirsk and another near Wakefield, will start flying the first of the choppers at the beginning of September and the second shortly before Christmas.

Chairman Peter Sunderland said: “This is such an exciting time, not only for the charity, but we hope for the people of Yorkshire too.

“We have been building up to this for such a long time now, and to think we are only a few short weeks away from commencing operations in the H145 is just fantastic.”

The two new helicopters will replace the charity’s current ageing fleet of MD902 Explorers, which are expected be sold to aid the cost of purchasing the new H145’s.

The new aircraft offer exceptional flight performance and will have significantly lower operational and maintenance costs. They are night capable, enabling longer flying hours, and are used by military, police and air rescue services throughout the world.

Director of flight operations Captain Andy Lister said: “The H145 is a larger aircraft with better endurance and a longer range than we’re used to, which helps us cover Yorkshire’s five million acres, but the overall footprint is small enough for reaching patients in tight areas.”

The new helicopters have been given a state-of-the-art medical fit-out which will provide critically sick and injured patients the most advanced treatment techniques.

Clinical operations manager Pete Vallance said: “The open cabin allows clinicians to have full access to the patient in-flight and we have future-proofed the specialised medical equipment that is being fitted.

“We believe we have now got the best aircraft and the best equipment available to enable us to provide top-level clinical care across Yorkshire for many years to come.”

The purchase and fitting out costs have been met through planned savings, grants, careful budgeting - and the generosity of local people.

The final few weeks before the new aircraft come into service will see the pilots will complete their final training with the Airbus team, before the paramedics start their familiarisation training with the helicopter.