WATCH: Take a ride on the new Welsh Air Ambulance helicopter

The Welsh Air Ambulance has recently bought a fourth air ambulance in addition to the three that fly out of Welshpool airport, Caernarfon in North Wales and Dafen in South Wales.

It will be used not as a blue light vehicle responding to 999 calls but for transporting critically ill patients across Wales, including those in Mid Wales.

It will also be able to transfer neo-natal babies when it is fitting with Wales' first flight incubator in the next few weeks.

The £70,000 bespoke incubator is the most advanced in the UK and will replace long road ambulance journeys for vulnerable babies.

The charity already operates the official National Children's Air Ambulance in Wales, airlifting 250 children a year from life-threatening emergencies or to children's hospitals across the UK.

It uses a baby pod for babies, but the new incubator is heated, and has a Perspex chamber, meaning that medics can see clearly in order to monitor the baby during the course of the flight.

The Shropshire Star was given a preview of the new helimed before it goes into operation and an insight into the type of terrain that people in trouble in Mid Wales could be in.

Inside the fuselage are oxygen machines, entonox valves, and drawers labelled drugs, along with masks and other medical equipment.

The helicopter also carries five units of fresh blood – Type O – that arrives three times a week from the Wrexham transfusion centre.

Pilot James Grenfell said he could land on a space three quarters the size of a tennis court.

"We have to look for somewhere large enough and with a slope of less than 40 degrees. We also have to be aware of the surface we are landing on and obstacles such as power lines," he said.

On a flight the helicopter reaches Lake Vyrnwy in just six minutes – a journey that can easily take half an hour or more by road.

The Welsh Air Ambulance can also travel from Welshpool to the coast in just 15 minutes, a comfort for holidaymakers who make fall ill, or get into difficulties in on by the seaside.

The service is run through contributions. Each mission costs on average £1,500.

Each ambulance will fly an average of two a day, although service manager Mark Winter said the most he has flown in one day is seven.

The team is never off duty though and if a call comes in and bad weather means the helicopter can not fly or the incident is close at hand then team members can still offer their skills and travel to incidents in a response car which is always ready on the air base.

"We have a fantastic relationship with the local National Health Services," Mr Winter said.

The Welsh Air Ambulance has to raise £6 million a year to stay in the air – a huge amount of money for a charity to fund.

"It is a lot of money, but it is worth its weight in gold," said Mr Winter. "I know there are people alive today who would not be if the air ambulance had not been able to get them to a trauma centre quickly."

The organisation has charity shops across Wales, regular fundraising events and online donating and more information is available on its walesairambulance.com