Our town has what might be considered a moderately unusual feature on the OS map, for a small town at least. It’s a heliport - and in fact we actually have a second helipad too - at the hospital. That one isn’t shown on the map though...
In the 1950’s when Harlow New Town was planned and building began, and around 10 years since the first practical, economical helicopter had been flown, it was assumed that helicopters would be a method of transport much used in the future. So the town planner very sensibly designed a heliport to ensure that this brand new form of travel could be easily used. Of course, for day to day civilian transport they have never really taken hold, and so our “heliport” is now essentially an empty field...except, today, it wasn’t!
We were walking towards the town centre - partly just for a walk, and partly as there were a few items of shopping we wanted to pick up - I’d been unable to get teabags during my regular supermarket shop so a trip elsewhere was needed, and hear the sound of a helicopter nearby...a quick check on Flightradar24 confirmed that it was the air ambulance and that it was landing somewhere rather closer than the hospital...so we diverted slightly and went to see if indeed, as we suspected, our “heliport” might be in use.
By the time we got there the medical team had already left to attend the incident they had been called to leaving the flying crew to wait with the aircraft in the sunshine. I only had the phone with me of course, but it would have been rude not to grab a couple of photos...
...she did look rather splendid casting a shadow with the sun behind her. It is of course to be hoped that the casualty they were attending had a good outcome, these guys don’t get called unless there is significant threat to life, or a strong likelihood of life changing injury, so although it is nice to see the helicopter in a location like this, it is always tinged with the knowledge that someone’s life had just undergone a dramatic change.
Robyn
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