An Cosantóir

24 IRISH AIR CORPS NO 3 OPERATIONS WING complete a period as co-pilot on the aircraft, which includes time on the Emergency Aeromoedical Service (EAS), a joint operation between the Air Corps and the National Ambulance Service, based in Athlone. The pilots then progress on to GASU. After three to five years spent with GASU, pilots are sent back to No. 3 Operations Wing where they continue to operate and train on the AW139 and upgrade to aircraft captain. Probably the most vital task of the No. 3 Helicopter Wing is the provision of emergency medical services. In 2011 a 12-month pilot project was launched to test possible advantages of having a helicopter with a full crew on standby to provide daytime HEMS, flying under visual flight rules. A CRM training program was a defining element of the new operation. One of the unique challenges at the beginning of joint operations was integrating two very different operational cultures. Pilots and aircrew were using jargon unfamiliar to medical personnel, while paramedics were using medical terminology previously unheard by the aviators. CRM training was modified to educate military staff on medical phraseology, including having one of the Air Corps crew members trained as a medical technician able to assist with casualty care. The same approach went toward the medical staff, who were introduced to the Air Corps procedures and operations, making them permanent members of the EAS team. EAS flights were initially performed with an EC135 before the larger, more capable AW139 was brought online. The service significantly reduced transit times for the patients and in 2015 became permanent. Another big step forward was to include the dispatcher's offices, which are located over 100 miles (160 kilometers) away from Athlone, by installing a set of cameras in the EAS briefing room. This allowed the dispatcher to see and hear the pre- and post- action briefings, fully incorporating them into the advanced CRM system in place. A standard day for an EAS crew starts with an operations briefing carried out by the detachment commander. This includes a weather summary prepared by the copilot and a technical report by the maintenance technicians. While the copilot reviews the pre-designated landing sites and reports from previous duties, the detachment commander carries out a thorough pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, after which the helicopter is set up for a quick start-up. Training flights are planned as required for the day, depending on weather conditions. Once a call comes in from the dispatch center, it is considered by the advanced paramedic. If it qualifies for an EAS response, a mission is initiated, and the commander starts up the helicopter. At the same time, the copilot checks the location of the incident and assigns a pre-designated landing site or creates a new one if needed. With location and route planned, the remainder of the crew boards the helicopter Providing overwatch in Poolbeg PC12 in Formation with CASA

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