Agenda

This session will cover some of the key differences between requirements for working in helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and fixed-wing (FW) air ambulances, and how professionals switch between the two disciplines. In this session, we look at the training considerations, cross-overs, and key differentiators in best practice and protocols. Aircraft pressurisation, patient stability and condition can all change quickly, so what can HEMS crew learn from their FW colleagues, and vice versa?

Neonatal transfers require exceptional precision, specialist expertise and seamless teamwork. This will be a case study-led session that informs best practice, shares complex cases from which industry colleagues can learn, and discusses the evolution in demand, equipment, treatment protocols, and training for the medical transport of children and infants.

This session will explore the clinical, operational, and human factors involved in transferring patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Speakers will examine how aircraft physiology, pressurization, prolonged transfer times, and evolving patient conditions can directly impact neurological outcomes. The panel will discuss best practices in pre-flight stabilization; sedation and analgesia; airway and ventilation management; seizure control; hemodynamic optimization; and in-transit monitoring.

This session examines how mixed fleets can be effectively managed during a major incident. Topics will include multi-platform coordination; airspace and maritime deconfliction; communications interoperability; weather and fuel limitations; patient prioritisation; and maintaining situational awareness across dispersed assets. The discussion will also explore command-and-control structures within humanitarian relief operations, decision-making during rapidly deteriorating scenarios, and lessons applicable to both civilian and military emergency response systems.

This session will explore how aircraft can be customized for true multi-mission capability, examining modular cabin layouts, rapid role-conversion systems, mission equipment integration, payload considerations and exterior adaptations. Speakers will discuss the operational, engineering, and certification challenges involved in balancing diverse mission profiles, alongside lessons learned from real-world fleet operations.

This session will examine the operational realities of conducting helicopter and ground-based rescues in busy ski environments, with a focus on risk mitigation, coordination with resort operators, scene management, and maintaining safety in heavily populated recreational areas. Speakers will explore crew resource management, pilot decision-making, communication strategies and patient extraction considerations, alongside lessons learned from real-world mountain rescue operations. We will also hear about how HEMS / search and rescue helicopter operators support ski resorts in off-piste, side-country, and back-country, extending beyond the boundaries of the ski area.