Through a Glass Darkly - Dutch HEMS using NVGs

In 2004, when Helicopter Life last visited Lifeliner, the Dutch HEMS, they had a VFR day-only system. However, they were already thinking ahead: was there a place for a 24-hour service? It showed an amazing amount of ‘vision’ to be thinking about this in a country in which only the military could fly IFR at night, and there was no tradition of civilian night flying, and no VFR flying at night. It was no surprise, then, to discover that this vision was a combination of medical and aviation thinking: while the pilots were wondering could we, should we, fly at night, doctors and nurses in the Dutch medical system were wondering why there was no full medical cover at night; and how, if such a thing could be arranged, doctors could move around in a small country in which intense traffic prevents rapid travel by road. The coming together of these thoughts led to a one year ‘pilot’ study at Volkel Airbase, using the Nijmegen HEMS Lifeliner 3.

According to Dr Jan Biert, a doctor on Lifeliner 3, “the New Year night (2000/2001) fire in which many were injured and killed sent a message to us all that emergency medical teams with doctors must be available at night...