“Why the Falcon 50 and not the C-295, like any citizen of Porto Santo?”

A lot of criticism on social networks, as to why the airforce had to come from Portugal, to Porto Santo,  to bring Ramos to Madeira. 

Was it due to the Air Force’s privilege that Pedro Ramos’ medical evacuation from Porto Santo to Madeira was carried out in the Falcon 50 instead of the C-295, a military aircraft based in Porto Santo and normally used for aeromedical transport?

The news that Pedro Ramos felt unwell after lunch on Friday in Porto Santo, where he was carrying out government duties, and had been treated at the local Health Centre, caught the attention of readers at the end of yesterday. Early in the evening, the DIÁRIO reported that the regional secretary for Health and Civil Protection would be transferred to Madeira in an Air Force plane, as is normally the case for medical evacuations. It so happens that, unlike the aircraft usually used in these transport operations, the C-295 plane, the aircraft mobilised by the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) to ‘rescue’ the Madeiran leader was the versatile ‘Falcon 500’. This plane was parked in Lisbon.

Reactions to the news were not long in coming, particularly regarding the choice of the aircraft used for the operational device that ended up being used for the air medical transport of Pedro Ramos, a transfer that would be completed in the early hours of the morning with the government official being accompanied by a Rapid Intervention Medical Team (EMIR).

Among the many comments, reader Luís Oliveira asked: “Why the Falcon 50 and not the C-295, like any citizen of Porto Santo?” In the same comment he even insinuated that Pedro Ramos was benefiting from a privilege or perk for being a member of the government.

“Just perks for someone who was using military planes just a few days ago (to transport firefighters and to carry out aerial attacks on fires)!” he said.

Was it a privilege to be ‘rescued’ by the often presidential ‘Falcon 50’?

That’s what Diario Notícias went to find out.

It was immediately clear that air resources were assigned to Manoeuvring Aerodrome No. 3 (Porto Santo), the aerodrome that succeeded the former NATO infrastructure, in 1994. At the time, due to the international situation and the changes that had occurred at NATO level, the support and maintenance of existing human and logistical resources became a national responsibility, and at that time the Air Force detachment was established in Porto Santo, explains the FAP on its official website.

In the more recent past, in March 2006, the SA-330 PUMA stationed at Porto Santo Aerodrome was replaced by the EH-101 Merlin, with the Madeira Air Detachment now having this aircraft and the C-212 AVIOCAR at its disposal. At the end of that decade, in November 2010, the C-212 Aviocar was replaced by the C-295, with the Madeira Air Detachment (DAM) now consisting of this aircraft and the EH-101 Merlin.

It turns out that the base in Porto Santo did not always have the two aircraft assigned to it operational, such as the C-295 plane and the EH-101 Merlin helicopter, the latter of which was repeatedly inactive, allegedly due to a lack of crew.

It is important to clarify that the C-295M fleet is made up of 12 aircraft, the same number as EH-101 Merlin.

According to the FAP, between 2008 and 2011, 12 EADS/CASA C-295M aircraft were acquired to replace the C-212 Aviocar. Seven of these aircraft were configured for Tactical Air Transport and the remaining five for Surveillance and Reconnaissance (VIREC) missions. Assigned to Squadron 502 ‘Elephants’, the EADS C-295M is an aircraft prepared for various missions, namely medical evacuations, with the particularity of being certified for operations in any weather conditions.

Twelve EH-101 Merlin medium transport helicopters were also acquired in three different variants for three different types of missions. The fleet consists of 6 SAR (Search and Rescue) variants, 2 SIFICAP (Fishing Activities Monitoring and Control System) variants and 4 CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) variants.

The last aeromedical mission in which the C-295M aircraft, from Squadron 502 – ‘Elephants’, positioned in Porto Santo, was engaged took place precisely on the morning of this Friday, with the Air Force transporting a patient in need of special health care between the two Madeiran islands, revealed the FAP through its official account on the X network (formerly Twitter).

This is why many readers were surprised that on the same day and night the Air Force opted for long-distance transport by deploying the Falcon 50 aircraft from Squadron 504 – ‘Linces’ from the mainland to transfer Pedro Ramos from Porto Santo to Madeira.

The Air Force, through Public Relations, clarified that the C-295M aircraft stationed in Porto Santo had been declared inoperative after the morning mission, a situation aggravated by the absence – now habitual – of the EH-101 Merlin, that is, yesterday afternoon/evening in Porto Santo there was no operational military aircraft. Hence the call to Lisbon and the Falcon 50 aircraft of Squadron 504 – ‘Linces’, which made a stopover in Porto Santo to ensure the medical evacuation of a patient (Pedro Ramos) requiring special health care.

He also explained that during the last night the Maneuvering Aerodrome No. 3 (Porto Santo) was ‘reinforced’ with the arrival of a C-295M aircraft sent from Montijo, in order to make up for the inoperability of the other similar aircraft.

Seems a bit strange to me the C-295 was no longer able to fly after doing the trip in the morning. So is it more lies, or do we just believe  what they rell us. ?