Entries to name Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance's second helicopter close at 23:59 on Tuesday 25 August. The winner gets a behind-the-scenes airbase tour.

There is one week left to name Dorset’s second air ambulance helicopter. Entries close at 23:59 BST on Tuesday 25 August 2026. (Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, helicopter naming competition)

The aircraft is already flying. It entered service recently, carrying the registration G-DSCC and no name.

How to enter

The charity is taking entries three ways. (Competition terms and conditions)

  • Online, through the form at dsairambulance.org.uk/forms/help-name-your-new-helicopter
  • By post, to Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance Naming Competition, Landacre House, Castle Road, Chelston Business Park, Wellington, TA21 9JQ
  • In person, at events the charity runs or attends before the closing date

The rules are short, and three of them decide whether an entry counts:

  • You must give a reason for the name you suggest. A name on its own is not a complete entry.
  • One entry per person. If you send several, the charity picks one.
  • Entrants under 18 need a parent or guardian’s consent, and the charity can ask for proof.

Entries are not limited to people who live in the UK, and late or incomplete entries will not be considered. All eligible entries go to a shortlisting panel, then to a judging panel whose decision is final. The charity has kept the right not to pick a winner at all if nothing suitable comes in.

The helicopter that needs a name

G-DSCC is an enhanced version of the AgustaWestland 169, the same type as the charity’s long-serving aircraft, which the crews call Peggy. Unit Chief Pilot Kev Rutherford wrote in the charity’s summer update that most people would take the new one for Peggy’s twin. (View from the cockpit, summer 2026)

The differences are mostly hidden. Rutherford points to two that matter operationally:

  • it performs better in hot weather, when higher temperatures make flying harder
  • it has improved Performance Class 1 capability, which is the safety margin during the critical phases of a flight, particularly into confined or awkward landing sites

Both of those are worth something in a county where the crew lands on beaches, cliff paths and roadsides through a hot summer.

The charity is also working towards a new operating base at Yeovil, which would house both helicopters. Rutherford says the project is approaching the full planning application stage.

Why there are two helicopters at all

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance describes itself as the busiest air ambulance in the South West. It is tasked to nearly 3,000 missions a year. Its appeal page says the original aircraft is flown more intensively than almost any other air ambulance of its kind in the UK. (2ndHeli Appeal)

The charity has flown since March 2000 and now operates 19 hours a day, from 7am to 2am, every day of the year. Each mission costs around £3,500, and the service takes no direct government or National Lottery funding. (About Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance)

The 2ndHeli Appeal is still running. It is raising the final £1 million towards buying and equipping the aircraft, and when we checked on 18 August it stood at £668,733, or £682,853 including Gift Aid.

Bar showing the 2ndHeli Appeal has raised £668,733 of its £1,000,000 target
The 2ndHeli Appeal against its target, as published by the charity on 18 August 2026. Chart by The Dorset Post.

What the winner gets

The name goes on the aircraft. Beyond that the prize is:

  • a photograph opportunity with the helicopter
  • a behind-the-scenes tour of the airbase
  • an invitation to the unveiling event, on a date and at a location still to be confirmed

There is no cash alternative and the prize cannot be transferred. Winners and finalists agree that their name, their suggested aircraft name and images of them may be used in the charity’s publicity.

What it means for you

  • The deadline is 23:59 on Tuesday 25 August. There is no extension published, and late entries are excluded under the rules.
  • Write the reason, not just the name. The charity’s Head of Communications, Tracy Bartram, said “every name entered will have a reason behind it”, and the shortlisting panel reads them.
  • If you are entering on behalf of a child, get the consent question settled first. The charity can ask for proof of age or parental consent.
  • The charity has reserved the right to amend the chosen name where it has to, for operational, regulatory or branding reasons.
  • If you would rather help in a different way, the appeal is still £331,267 short of its £1 million target on the charity’s own published figure.

Sources