Donate Blog 0 Basket Home / About us / History of YAA History of YAA 2020 This year we will be celebrating 20 years of saving lives across Yorkshire. The last two decades have seen us grow year on year to become a service delivering the highest possible standard of pre-hospital care to the people of Yorkshire, flying over 8,000 patients to major trauma centres across the region. 2019 An exciting year for the training and development of our medical teams as we were proud to launch our state-of-the-art simulation training suite at Nostell. The room, which benefits from 360° scene projection allows our crews to set up an endless number of incident situations, ranging from road traffic collisions, industrial accidents and inside homes. This, coupled with the life like manikins, which were generously grant funded, allow our Paramedics and Doctors to continually train on medical procedures and on-scene incident management. 2018 2018 saw us progress even further operationally with the commencement of flight training on the Airbus H145 simulator in Bonn, Germany. Being able to train on a simulator rather than in our working helicopters allows our Pilots and crews to undergo manoeuvres they hopefully will never have to experience in real life, such as engine failures and crashes. The training has been extremely valuable to our team and ensures they are all trained to the highest standards. 2017 This was the first full year of operations with the two new Airbus H145 helicopters and the benefits they have continued to bring to the people of Yorkshire and its visitors. In 2017 there were also other key medical and operational advancements for the Charity. Firstly, the commencement of NVIS (Night Vision Imaging Systems) Operations, enabling the Charity to extend its operational hours and the addition of carrying Blood on Board, enabling critically injured patients to receive transfusions at the scene of an incident or in the air. 2016 2016 will be remembered as a momentous year for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Two brand new state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters were delivered and came into operation during the year. The majority of 2016 saw us make the necessary preparations at each airbase for the arrival of these new helicopters and a grand unveiling event was held at Nostell on the 7th June in front of regional dignitaries, corporate supporters and guests. G-YAAC came into operation at Nostell on Saturday 3rd September and G-YOAA followed shortly after, becoming operational from her new home at Topcliffe on Wednesday 14th December. 2015 In March 2015, HRH The Duke of York, KG officially opened the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s state-of-the-art Air Support unit at Nostell Priory Estate, near Wakefield. On 25th October 2015 The Yorkshire Air Ambulance had been saving lives for 15 years and have carried over 6,000 patients! 2013 November 2013 saw the YAA move to a new Flagship Airbase on the Nostell Estate in Wakefield. Purpose developed especially for our operations. The charity also saw our most successful year so far, with income totalling £5million for the year. 2012 In 2012 we moved to our new Northern Airbase at RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk, officially opened by HRH The Duke of York, KG. The YAA also acquired our own Air Operating Certificate, becoming one of the first Air Ambulances to achieve this in the UK. 2008 We welcomed our second helicopter, G-CEMS, to our fleet, based at Sheffield Business Park. The second series of Helicopter Heroes aired in August, this time with new presenter Rav Wilding. The YAA hosted our first ever Recognition Awards ceremony. Income this year hit the £3million mark. 2007 First episode of Helicopter Heroes aired on 3rd September on BBC1 and was presented by Richard Hammond. The series is comprised of 10 initial episodes but due to the success of the first series it was re-commissioned. 2006 In 2006 the YAA welcomed Chairman, Peter Sunderland to the charity and new aircraft G-SASH joined our fleet. On the 20th September, the YAA were called to a crash at Elvington Airfield near York. The patient was Top Gear Presenter Richmond Hammond who had been involved in a serious car crash. 2004 The operation at Leeds Bradford Airport took a step forward when the crew finally moved from their Portakabin to new office space on the Multiflight site at the airport. Income from the year stood at just over £1million. 2000 The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was founded on October 25th 2000 and consisted of a small crew operating a leased Bolkow helicopter G-PAS-G from a Portakabin at Leeds Bradford Airport. Donate Now Yorkshire Air Ambulance Cayley House, 10 South Lane Elland HX5 0HQ T: 01422 237900 E: info@yaa.org.uk YAA Registered Charity No. 1084305. 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