AdventHealth’s Flight 1 air ambulance acquires new aircraft, facilities
Florida-based healthcare provider has announced substantial investments in its Flight 1 air ambulance service, including the purchase of a new helicopter and the leasing of new facilities
AdventHealth, a faith-based non-profit healthcare provider operated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, has unveiled a second EC145e helicopter.
The aircraft, which complements the provider’s existing EC145 aircraft, will be used to improve coverage of its Flight 1 air ambulance service, which transported over 1,000 critically ill patients between medical facilities across Central Florida in 2021.
AdventHealth also announced that it will lease a new 650m2 hangar at Orlando Executive Airport to house the two aircraft, which will replace the air ambulance’s previous base at the provider’s Orlando campus.
The provider has also leased an adjacent 930m2 building, which is currently being renovated to serve as administrative offices for Flight 1 and will also be used to contain a simulator for the training of flight and ground rescue teams. Renovations are expected to be completed next year.s
Fellow US-based helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) provider Classic Air Medical also opened a new base at Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital in Burley, Idaho in February.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.