MODEL RELEASED. Loading air ambulance. Patient being loaded into an air ambulance by paramedics. The patient and paramedics are wearing headphones and microphones to allow them to communicate while the helicopter is airborne. An air ambulance is a helicopter equipped with life-support systems and staff for emergency medical cases. It provides a rapid response to casualties in inaccessible locations, as it can perform vertical take-offs and landings in confined spaces. This is the Essex Air Ambulance. It serves the county of Essex in England. The helicopter is an EC135 Eurocopter and entered service in 2003.