 Richard Hammond was flown to hospital by the air ambulance |
A second Yorkshire Air Ambulance could be in the sky within months after the charity's trustees approved the plans. Chief executive Martin Eade said the generosity of Top Gear star Richard Hammond's fans enabled them to buy the helicopter a year earlier than planned.
About �250,000 was donated to the air ambulance after it flew the Top Gear presenter to hospital after his high speed crash at Elvington in September.
The aircraft will be chosen in December and should be operational by spring.
'Hammycopter'
The Yorkshire Air Ambulance currently offers a dawn to dusk service but Mr Eade said the trustees had specified the new helicopter should be equipped for night flights.
"We aim to have 24-hour flying at some point and want the helicopter to be future-proofed," he said.
"We believe we have a duty to the public that support us to be ready to provide that service as soon as the Civil Aviation Authority allow it."
Mr Eade said he would also be speaking to Richard Hammond's family in the new year about naming the latest air ambulance after him.
"If they'd like it to be called the Hammycopter, or whatever, then we're very happy to go down that road," he said.
"I think it would be a recognition of the fantastic achievement of his fans in setting up the website and raising so much money."
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