The two EC135 helicopters operated by Gulf Med Aviation for the National Ambulance Service from their base at Rathcool, Co Cork have been busy. Since their first patient transfer to University Hospital Cork (CUH) on 16th February they have made over 60 sorties across Munster and beyond.
The two EC135s are slightly different models. The EC stands for Eurocopter which in 2014 became Airbus Helicopters and in 2017 simply “Airbus”. They renamed the EC135 as the H135. Their 135 is a highly successful design that first flew in 1996 and has been progressively improved since then with worldwide sales of close to 1500 examples. Gulf Med’s helicopters have Maltese registrations and 9H-SEB, serial 0175, was built for Bond Aviation Group in 2001 as a TI and converted to T2 standard in 2016. The newer 9H-SEC, serial 11889, is a T3 variant built for Bond in 2015. It has a slightly greater range, payload, and economical cruising speed. This is the main air ambulance with ‘SEB being used as a backup and for training.
The T2 and T3 have the same markings with the HSE logo and National Ambulance Service titles. The T2, top photo, can be visually distinguished mainly by its additional tailfin below the enclosed tail rotor and the chevron endplates on each side of the horizontal stabiliser which is just ahead of the tail. The later T3 dispensed with these because the improved autopilot has a greater degree of authority over the operation of the tail rotor.
The Irish Air Corps and Garda 135s are P2+ and T2 variants dating from 2004 and so have the same tail features as the T2. So had the Bond/Babcock T2+ EI-KEL, earlier G-CGHP, which serviced the Kinsale Gas Field from Cork from 2010 until 2021, pictured left. The major users of the EC135 are the military, air ambulance services, and law enforcement such as the Spanish Policia, above right.
