Northern Isles air ambulance to be commemorated

A LIFE-SAVING air ambulance service that has served the Northern Isles for 50 years is to be commemorated.

Members of the Fresson Trust, formed to honour the work of civil aviation pioneer Ted Fresson, will unveil plaques at Kirkwall and Sumburgh airports to mark the occasion.

The brass plaques will carry the names of all senior pilots who served the Air Ambulance Service over the past half century.

Loganair President and former Chairman Scott Grier will unveil the plaques, which have been sponsored by the airline, alongside HIAL Chairman Grenville Johnston, Chair of the Fresson Trust. Captain Fresson’s son Richard will also join the group at the dedication in Kirkwall.

Grenville Johnston said: “For 50 years, the air ambulance service has provided a lifeline for communities across the Northern Isles. These plaques are designed to commemorate the service and dedication of those pilots who have served our island communities so diligently.

“At the same time, we are marking the service of fire fighters at Sumburgh and Kirkwall airports, who have similarly served the public with dedication and commitment.”

The Fresson Trust was formed in 1991 to honour the memory of the late North of Scotland civil aviation pioneer Capt Ernest Edmund Fresson. The Trust offers grants to young people from the region to help them train professionally as pilots, create and encourage history around Fresson’s achievements and erect memorials at significant aviation sites in the Highlands and Islands.

The plaques will be unveiled today (Tue) at Kirkwall Airport and Wednesday at Sumburgh Airport.