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Military helicopters are currently conducting training exercises around Birmingham Airport as part of emergency planning for transporting patients to hospital.

As part of "a contingency programme" to cope with pressure on the health service linked to the coronavirus outbreak , the choppers could be called upon to help see that people are "rapidly transferred" to the region's A&E units.

Preparations for the force of Puma helicopters - which have previously been used by the RAF in the likes of Iraq and Yugoslavia - are being carried out.

(Image: Birmingham Mail/Darren Quinton)

The information has been passed to Solihull councillors to make them aware that pilots would be carrying out manoeuvres overhead in the coming days.

In an email circulated to members, Andy Holding, the airport's corporate responsibility manager, said that the activity may be more noticeable because of the "unprecedented" reduction in ordinary air travel - although the number of flights is expected to be small.

He said: "In poor weather conditions, helicopter pilots will need to undertake what is known as a 'cloud break' procedure, where the aircraft needs to safely descend until the pilot has visual contact with the ground.

"For helicopters en-route to local hospitals, that procedure will involve using the standard approach procedures for Birmingham Airport - effectively following the ILS [Instrument Landing System] approaches until visual contact is made with the ground, at which point they will fly directly to their destination hospital.

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"The military has requested that training flights be undertaken within the next few days so that pilots can practice these procedures."

The airport has also confirmed that some airlines have requested a number of training flights to ensure that pilots continued to undertake the required number of flying hours to maintain their licences.

Mr Holding said: "We expect the numbers of both types of operations to be very small in comparison to normal operations, but given that normal flying operations have virtually ceased, they may well be more noticeable to residents than would ordinarily be the case.

"We would be grateful if you were able to make this information available to the communities you represent."

The news has already been shared on a couple of local Facebook groups, with reports that one of the rotorcraft passed over on Wednesday night.

Posting on the Castle Bromwich community page, Jacqueline Altham said: "According to my husband the first military helicopter did an approach at 8.09pm this evening."

Although with fake news about a military presence on the streets having circulated in other parts of the country in recent days, some had cast doubt on whether the information was genuine.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has seen a copy of the email which was circulated to cabinet members, opposition leaders and ward councillors for Bickenhill (in which the airport sits) this week.