helimed01 Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Hi. Ive just joined this group. My name is Richard Whitmarsh, (Whitters). Im a Paramedic employed by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust and work on the Cornwall Air Ambulance. Like almost all Air Ambulance units, Cornwall is 100% relient on public donations, I am often tasked to give talks to various groups, attend or open events etc etc and was delighted to be tasked to represent the Air Ambulance on 29th July to watch the launch of a team of Paramotor pilots who plan the Lands end to JOG's trip which will raise money for Air Ambulance units nationaly. Although only BMAA qualified PPG pilot this year I have been flying paramotors for several years and hangliders before that. My flying interest now is paramotors and especially long flights / bivouac flying. Last year I flew from Calais to Poitiers with the Lemmings and also flew 'Le Raid' which is from Nantes to the Pyrenees unsupported. Therefore was delighted when I spoke to Simon Westmore last night who described that there may be a chance I can join the team. I am really excited about the chance to do this flight and am looking forward to getting involved and meeting the rest of the group at a fly-in at some point in the future. Regards. Whitters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norman Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Hi Whitters, Welcome - Having you with us is creating smiles that run from earlobe to earlobe. Great to see you. I don't suppose you will around Lambourn on the 15th for the Christmas party? Send me a picture as an email attachment (see below at signature) and I'll post it. Anything will do but anything you have that includes the day job would be particularly well received. PS: That goes for EVERYONE ELSE too please. I will use them tastefully I do assure you! I want to create a 'Rouges Gallery' Don't be shy now .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Richard, Thanks for joining up I think that you are the perfect person as our number 5 pilot as a member of the First Air Ambulance that saved my dads life the day it launched. Out of interest..... We need a medic.... Again, Welcome! See you on Dartmoor in the new year for some training and brifings. SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_b Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Hi Richard Jump aboard and enjoy yourself,we're all going to. Pete b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryW Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Hi Richard, It's good to have you onboard. I've no doubt that you will enjoy flying with our respective affilliated club members in the near future and of course the epic flight in July/August. Maybe see you at the Xmas do. Cheers Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_payne Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Hi Richard, Its great to have you along on this speacial flight. See you at training camp soon Simon Payne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helimed01 Posted December 9, 2007 Author Share Posted December 9, 2007 Thanks very much for all the warm welcome's. Unfortunately can't make the Xmas do on 15th but looking forward to meeting on Dartmoor for flying / training / briefing in the New year. Hopefully sometime prior to LE to JOG's I will get the chance to provide first aid lecture if you guys want. Just basic life support, wound and limb management, scene safety etc. And of course supply equipment for the trip if required ie, wound management, analgesia, antibiotics, spinal immobilisation, airway management equipment etc, space permitting / as required. Im getting excited already. Can't wait. Its nice to have something to look forward to when the weather is blowing a gale as it is now and flying is infrequent. Hopefully see you all soon. Regards. Whitters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 9, 2007 Share Posted December 9, 2007 Nice one, We will have to arrange this briefing for the first training weekend we have on Dartmoor. Thanks also for the offer of Kit, (I would like to take you up on that offer) SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weesplat Posted December 9, 2007 Share Posted December 9, 2007 Hi Whitters, Glad to have you on the team. Looking forward to meeting you. I'm driving the support van for this trip and I would imagine may well pick up a few other jobs that are going spare. your right about having something to look forward to for when the decent weather returns. cheers Col.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted December 9, 2007 Share Posted December 9, 2007 Hi Whitters, Welcome to the team, looking forward to our first meeting when all the pilots and support team meet up together. I'm reckoning it will be the most talked about event in the aviation calender to date. Can't wait for some of the rehearsals on Dartmoor. Regards Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus1 Posted December 9, 2007 Share Posted December 9, 2007 Hey Whitters, Can I add a warm welcome too. You Air Ambulance boys are doing a fabulous job. I have had the unfortunate chance to use the service you offer and several of my friends too. A bugger really - always wanted to fly in a helicopter and can not remember a damn thing about it!!! I am sure you have put the tip2tip gang at ease with the promise of your presence! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2007 Share Posted December 10, 2007 Hi Richard, Welcome. Hope I'm not being too bold if I ask you to look at this thead http://paramotorclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=211 and see if it ties in with your proposed First Aid lecture in any way? One of the problems for instructors in our sport is that we are required to hold a first response qualification but many (most) of the courses I've been on, whilst great for general first aid do not focus on the sorts of injuries that we are likely to encounter. I can help somone use an epipen, recognise epilepsy and expel a lodged food item but spinal trauma"? or internal bleeding? Head injury? also "remote location incident management" is a major issue that is rarely covered. The sort of course we have to attend is usually over four days but I often think it could be telescoped and still cover all the bases. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helimed01 Posted December 14, 2007 Author Share Posted December 14, 2007 Hi Francis. You are exactly right, most courses focus mainly on basic life support (BLS) airway management and more recently catastrophic bleeding. They avoid more specialist techniques like spinal care etc. The European Resus council guidelines are proven to provide the general public information to improve the outcome of a broad spectrum of incidents with a common goal on managing the most threats to life. Providing the general public with more info (overload) would probably be detrimental to the very important basics and may introduce more risk to patient outcome. However I don't view paramotor clubs / teams as the general public. What I would like to do is keep the basics by providing a practical hands on session with a resus doll to allow people to get the feel for depth and rate of BLS techniques etc but also focus on the environment we are in ie Paramotoring. After all I have an invested interest, it might be me on the ground and I want you people to know what you are doing. According to statistics 1 in 4 wheelchair users are there due to miss handling!!! However a well managed spinal injury is of little use if poor airway recognition / management results in secondary brain injury. What I would like us to consider are things like: Scene safety and management. Decision making Team working Equipment, (use of the equipment I am supplying.) What I would introduce is recognising and managing airway with spinal care, when to act and when to leave alone. It involves working as a team of minimum of 4 which would allow safe handling whilst maintaining good airway / BLS if necessary. Team leader either at the head or standing over. For example, I plan to provide a vacuum mattress (space permitting) for the LE to JOGs, this is a large bean bag with straps and handles which when the air is removed conforms around the casualty providing excellent immobilisation. I would like to provide a session on the use of that bit of kit, for example simple things like including a carry sheet with handles between the patient and the mattress makes handling easier (safer for the casualty) for other clinicians on continuation of care. (remember the 1 in 4). Knowing the correct ventilation rate of a head injured patient is very important in reducing secondary brain injury. The basics are vital but discussing / considering the paramotoring environment and likely injuries we may incur and how we as individuals or as a team manage the situation can have big impact on preservation of life and preventing deterioration. Things like internal bleeding need a surgeon, the quicker the better. If a casualty is 'packed and wrapped' ready to go and a good patient handover is given to the arriving paramedics the speed of cas-e-vac is greatly improved. According to reports Lady Di died in the back of an ambulance, it took approx' an hour to extricate her from the car and then they spent 20 mins on scene in the ambulance, they were only 10 mins from a treatment centre (emergency department). She bled from a shearing injury to her vena cava (major blood vessels returning blood to the heart.) I believe (as do many others) that if she sustained the same injuries in Cornwall, or probably anywhere in the UK, she would have survived!! You have got be waffling on now, what was the question??? Hope you Guys and Girls have a great Xmas bash tonight. Unfortunately I have a combined aircrew and A+E xmas night out in Truro tonight preventing me from joining in your fun. Regards Whitters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 The question was Can you or your organisation put on a validated course that instructors, coaches and any other interested flyers can attend and obtain certification for it? In my case I need a (any) first aid qual for my job, both as a teacher and as an instructor, and I would also like to attend your lecture(s) or sessions. Can I kill two seagulls with one brick here? Therewould be a number of us in this position I expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Hi Whitters, What you have offered is just perfect for the tip to tip training, may I suggest that you give a 45 min lesson at each of the tip to tip training days? By the end of the training will should all have had a good few hours of solid First Aid training. Please let me know if you are happy to run with this? (PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER THAT YOUR MAIN JOB IS TO FLY ) If you give me the thumbs up, I will forget about it and consider it sorted. (thanks for getting Dan the camera man hooked up with us as well!) SW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helimed01 Posted December 14, 2007 Author Share Posted December 14, 2007 Hi Francis. Unfortunately Im not an accredited school or instructor so cannot issue certification but I do know a man who can and am coincidently spending the day with him tomorrow and will discuss a training syllabus, he has his own business called TLC Solutions. http://www.tlc.org.uk/ His name is Mark Woolcock and his business partner is Simon Williams. Both PPL fixed wing and am sure will be keen to do a deal, ie supply training / certification for a day / session on a paramotor, perhaps dual or something. He will supply me with a training programme, I could ask him if he would be happy to allow me to issue certification but it may be a bit of a conflict of interest. A bit like someone teaching paramotoring and asking a school to issue the FLP ticket because the sylabus was met!! Bit cheeky perhaps. My intention was to provide sound training, advice and equipment that compliments the tip to tip task improving safety, unfortunately not to provide certificates. Simon - 45 mins per meeting sounds good. I need to know how many meetings sessions are planned so I can design a syllabus to suit. I will cover the important aspects first incase meetings are cancelled due to weather or whatever. Dan is a good bloke and produces excellent pics and vids. Like me he will fly all day no problems. Flew Calais to Poitiers with him last year. I am so excited about this task. Can't stop thinking about it. I was away Tue Wed Thur and missed the flyable weather so am desperate to fly which makes things worse, havn't had a flight for nearly 2 weeks. Looking forward to meeting you all soon. Whitters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Thanks whitters. Yes, I didnt really want to muscle in on the t to t training but if you do come up with a course I think there will be a ready market for Instructors, coaches and general flyers in many disciplines. see you soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverdan Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Hi Gents Just off the phone from Whitters, who I fly with regulary in the SW and He informed me about your big adverture this summer.Sounded just up my street, so I called Simon. Simon has offered me a post on the project as a cameraman / photographer. Thanks I am a freelance cameraman / photographer and specilise in underwater stuff.... Been doing this for 20 years!! I took up paramotoring 4 years ago, and have 250hrs , and have flown all over the country including St Kilda..... http://www.kilda.org.uk/ Flown from Callis to Potier with Whitters, and done 2 comps in Korea, and flown in Greece. Have a look at my website www.underwaterimages.co.uk or utube for vids http://uk.youtube.com/divedan I have lots of cameras and vids.. I have lots of media contacts, so I will start the ball rolling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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