Helicopter pilot who carried Qatar's royal family joins Great North Air Ambulance

A helicopter pilot who previously carried members of Qatar's royal family to and from their super yacht has taken on a new role saving lives from the air.

Paul Newman has traded the glitz of serving the Gulf state's royal household for life on the front line with the Great North Air Ambulance Service's (GNAAS) critical care team, based in Penrith.

He is currently taking on the four-hour commute from his home in Buckinghamshire to complete his flying shifts from the GNAAS base in Cumbria.

He said: “I am really looking forward to my new role here at GNAAS. I think it’s great beingable to help people and give something back. The crew has been amazing to work with so far. They really are a fantastic team.”

In his previous role, Paul was the lead pilot employed by Harrods Aviation and had the responsibility of flying the Emir of Qatar and his family to Katara, their 124-metre long yacht.

The role took him to places across the world, including the Caribbean, Europe, America, and Israel.

He said: “I always knew I wanted to be a pilot from a very young age. I remember at school they told me I’d never be clever enough though, so let’s say that made me even more determined.”

He has also flown helicopters for the police and was North Sea Commander for Bristows Helicopters.

Mr Newman said: “I absolutely love flying over the Lake District when I work over in the North West at the charity’s base in Penrith. The views are breathtaking. Who we get to work with and the places we get to fly over makes it all worthwhile.”

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