Simon Le Bon takes top gun role for The Air Ambulance Service

He knows all too well the importance of the Air Ambulance. After all, were it not for the RAF rescue helicopter which winched him to safety from the stricken yacht Drum in 1985, Simon Le Bon, the lead singer of Duran Duran would no longer be here.

That he was able to show his support for the county's Air Ambulance by becoming its ambassador owes everything to the brave men and women who plucked him from the wreckage of his wrecked yacht. The maxi vessel overturned in rough seas during the Fastnet race, off Falmouth, along the south coast of Cornwall. Le Bon and five other crew members were trapped underwater, inside the hull, for 40 minutes.

Becoming the Air Ambulance Service's patron, therefore, is a labour of love. Le Bon has a keen interest in the angels of the air who patrol the Midland skies, whisking people to safety when they come to harm.

"The idea of the facility not being around for people, if things go wrong, would be quite frightening," says Le Bon. "The helicopter is perfectly designed for this type of work. It can get off the ground in 45 seconds, whereas most helicopters take two or three minutes to get going."

Le Bon was given a tour of a £5 million Air Ambulance during a fact-finding visit – and was impressed by what he saw. "I know what it feels like to be rescued," he adds. "It's true to say that I'm only here today because of the efforts of the rescue service."

He remembers the events of 1985 vividly. Every second seems to have been imprinted indelibly on his mind.

"I was there with five other guys and we went into complete survival mode. There was no banter, really, and no fear. We were clear about what we had to do. We had to get the guy out who was drowning in the back of the boat under a sail and then assess the situation. By the time we started communicating with the guys outside the boat, we knew the helicopter was coming for us.

"I grew up watching Thunderbirds. As a kid you have this idea that if anything really bad happens then somebody will come and get you. And this is the closest thing that we have to do that."

Le Bon is ideally placed to help the Air Ambulance Service. He is rock star royalty, a member of the international jet set whose band is enjoying its most successful period since the heady days of the early 1980s. The band began a world tour in February 2011, which will continue until autumn.

"The tour has been incredible. I love it more because I'm more relaxed about the whole thing than I used to be. I'm healthier, I have the support of my family and I love the way the band sounds at the moment. I think we're playing better than we've ever played before."

For now, Le Bon is the Air Ambulance's Top Gun. He's delighted to be able to help a Midlands charity. "I'm very lucky because I have a great job and I love what I do. We love the Midlands. What makes me really happy is the fact that our home region is proud of us. That is a true honour."