THANK YOU - that was the message from a life-saving medical service which has a new helicopter after a massive fundraising appeal.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which gets no government cash, now has a £2.5 million new helicopter after launching its Golden Wings appeal. The craft will replace the 15-year-old aircraft previously used by the service.

More than 8,000 members of the public donated to the appeal, which also received substantial cash donations from Sovereign Healthcare, Mumtaz Food Industries, Corries Solicitors and B Braun Medical.

The new helicopter touched down at the Millennium Bridge in South Bank and at the York ambulance base at Shipton Road, where locals were given a chance to meet the pilot and crew as part of a grand "thank-you" tour of the region.

The craft, a new generation McDonnell Douglas MD902 Explorer, will be based at Leeds Bradford Airport.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance chief executive Martin Eede said: "We want to give the people of Yorkshire an opportunity to see the results of their fundraising and say thank you on behalf of those who have been helped by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in the past, and those who will be helped in the future.

"The new helicopter has greater capacity, it can fly farther and is more reliable."

"Our new helicopter is leased with an option to purchase which we would like to do within six months.

"Although the Golden Wings Appeal is well on target, we need continued support from the people of Yorkshire to make this possible. We are also committed to providing a second air ambulance for North Yorkshire."

The helicopter was also due to visit St Mary's School in Malton yesterday as part of its tour.

Over the next few weeks, it will also touch down at Rotherham Hospital, Sheffield Airport, Yorkshire Day at the Civic Square in Bradford, Family Day at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Bridlington Carnival and Bolton Abbey Summer Fete at Skipton.

Its final stop will be on September 3, when it will fly into Ripon Racecourse for Ripon Day.

Updated: 10:17 Tuesday, July 19, 2005