Air Ambulance Crew + Team
Every person who works at The Air Ambulance Service is a lifesaver.
What does an HEMS air ambulance crew do?
HEMS (helicopter emergency medical service) air ambulance crews play a vital role in delivering critical care when every second counts. Operating from helicopters and critical care cars, these highly trained teams are tasked with reaching patients quickly, often at the scene of serious incidents and providing advanced treatment before and during transfer to hospital.
Each crew typically includes a highly skilled pilot, a critical care paramedic, and a specialist doctor. The pilot focuses on getting the team to the patient safely and efficiently, while the medical team delivers hospital-level care at the roadside or in-flight. This can include advanced pain relief, sedation, airway management, blood transfusions, and other lifesaving interventions.
From road traffic collisions to cardiac arrests and serious medical emergencies, the crew must be ready for anything, bringing the expertise and equipment of an emergency department directly to the patient when they need it most.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NATIONAL CHILDREN’S AIR AMBULANCE CREW MEMBER
No two days are the same when you fly for the National Children’s Air Ambulance. One day, you’re lifting off at first light to transfer a critically ill baby to a specialist unit hundreds of miles away. Next, you’re standing by, ready to go the moment the call comes in. For Captain David Meares, it’s a career that finally took off after two decades at a desk. Now based at our North Base in Gamston, he combines precision flying with purpose, helping move young patients safely and swiftly between hospitals. It’s not just a job. It’s a commitment—to teamwork, to care, and to getting families the help they need, fast.
David Meares – Pilot
National Children’s Air Ambulance
THE CREW AND TEAM
It takes a whole team to keep us flying. On the ground and in the air, professionals, volunteers, and experts all work side by side. Critical care crews step in when every second counts. Operations keep missions running like clockwork. Leaders and supporters chart the course ahead. Every role matters. Every person makes a difference.
Together, we save more lives.
ROLES IN THE AIR AMBULANCE TEAM
It takes more than a pilot, a paramedic, and a doctor to keep our service flying. Behind every mission is a skilled, tight-knit team, each playing a vital role in making sure we’re ready to respond. From the crew on board to the support staff on the ground, we all pull together with one clear goal: saving lives. It’s not about heroes. It’s about teamwork, training, and trust. Meet the people who make our missions possible.
Air ambulance pilots ensure safe, rapid transport of medical teams and patients, often navigating challenging weather and terrain. Their precise flying and quick decision-making are crucial in emergencies, allowing crews to reach scenes fast and deliver care. Though not medics, their role is essential to every successful rescue.
Our Critical Care Paramedics are specially trained to deliver advanced treatment at the scene of an incident. Working side-by-side with doctors, they carry out lifesaving interventions when every second counts. Calm under pressure and highly skilled, they’re the backbone of our frontline response.
Bringing hospital-level care to the roadside, our Critical Care Doctors provide expert treatment in high-risk situations. From delivering emergency anaesthesia to performing surgical procedures, their specialist knowledge is vital in stabilising patients before reaching hospital. Their expertise saves lives every day.
Behind every mission is a dedicated team of specialists. From our Air Desk Coordinators who deploy crews with precision, to our Clinical Liaison Officers who support patient care beyond the scene, these behind-the-scenes heroes keep our service running smoothly and ensure the very best outcomes for patients.
GET INVOLVED
FAQs
Yes we do. Our Supporter Experience Team are here to help you. Simply press the chat button from the bottom right corner. If we aren’t available for any reason, you can leave us a message and we will get back to you. Alternatively, call us on 0300 3045 999.
Our Children’s Air Ambulance crew are 2 pilots. We then work with our partners to fly a specialist team to the critically ill child or transfer the child to another hospital with the specialist team on board. With our new helicopters, we now have an extra seat for a parent or guardian to fly with the child.
Our crew who fly in the helicopter is made up of a pilot, critical care paramedic and doctor.
We provide a rapid response to medical emergencies in the counties of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, however, we do support air ambulances further afield if we’re needed.
The Children’s Air Ambulance operates throughout the UK and works with Clinical Partner Teams from specialist hospitals.
In total, we fly 4 helicopters across the charity, 2x for our local service and 2x for our Children’s Air Ambulance. We also have 2x Critical Care Cars that support our HEMs services.
Our local service covers 5x counties; Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland.
The Children’s Air Ambulance covers the whole of the UK and works with 10 Clinical Partner Teams from various specialist hospitals.
If you are supporting the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance please make the cheque out to WNAA, or if you are supporting the Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Air Ambulance please make the cheque out to DLRAA. If you wish to support both services please make the cheque out to The Air Ambulance Service.
The Children’s Air Ambulance is a national inter-hospital transfer service that flies critically ill babies and children to receive the lifesaving treatment they need. Unlike a local air ambulance service, we don’t attend emergency scenes to provide road-side care; our Children’s service is pre-planned with Clinical Partner Teams who will fly with the patient to the hospital that they can provide treatment.
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The quickest and easiest way to inform us of any changes to your Gift Aid declaration or preferences is by completing our contact form. Our team are also on hand by calling 0300 3045 999. Please remember to provide us with your reference number that starts with 98120