2nd Mountain Rescue awareness presentation to North West Air Ambulance, Helimed 72, at City Airport, Manchester, by Bolton MRT

The team has been invited to provide three Mountain Rescue awareness sessions to new aircrew staff members at the North West Air Ambulance at City Airport, Manchester (Barton) where its aircraft ’Helimed 72’ is based. (NWAA also operate an aircraft from Blackpool Squires Gate Airport, ’Helimed 08,’ duty crews being ’shared’ between both locations)

This morning the second of the three sessions took place, with our Team President and former Bolton MRT Team Leader Bob Hutchinson (31 years Mountain Rescue experience) assisted by Trainee Team member Paul Chisholm, giving new aircrew member Paramedics Caroline Pearce and her longer serving colleague (starting his 2nd 2 year tour of duty) Mark Etherington, an oversight into Mountain Rescue operations, both regionally and within Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

During this discussion a photographer from Lancashire Life magazine turned up to do a photo shoot pre-arranged by the NWAA Charity. The photographer immediately saw the Team’s Land Rover as an additional opportunity and with permission from the Control Tower the vehicle was marshalled on to the airside part of the airport to line up alongside Helimed for the photograph.

Picture courtesy of Stuart Martindale, resident phographer City Airport

Bob and Paul then demonstrated to Paramedic aircrew members Mark and Caroline the very wide range of search and rescue equipment we carry on board our ’BM1’ Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance at the same time as breaking for various ‘photo calls’

At the same time, resident City Airport photographer Stuart Martindale took the oportunity to get some shots for himself and has very kindly supplied copies to the Team for Team use. Stuart is a resident of Bolton, living in Bromily Cross so is well aware of us. He has also kindly offered to take photos for the Team on a free of charge basis providing he is not working. We thank him for this generous offer and may well take advantage of it in future; so along with another Bolton resident and BMRT photographic supporter Carl Silver, the team seems well set for its photography needs in the future!

By early afternoon the awareness session was completed, with both Mark and Caroline thanking Bob and Paul for their presentation.

The last session of the three planned is scheduled to take place on Friday 2nd September 2011, fronted by Team Training Officer Elaine Gilliland.

These sessions are welcome opportunities to further develop the already excellent working relationship we in Bolton MRT have with the North West Air Ambulance and its aircrew members, and meet with new aircrew members.

(Last but not least thanks to NWAA Pilot, Captain Marc Rowley for his usual cheery welcome and hover demonstration for the photoshoot)