Aero Asahi orders air ambulance helicopter
The helicopter is the fifth aircraft of this type ordered by the company
Kawasaki Heavy Industries has received an order from aviation provider Aero Asahi Corporation for a new H145/BK117 D-3 air ambulance helicopter.
The medium-sized, twin-engine rotorcraft features a number of upgrades compared with its predecessor, the D-2. This includes a new five-bladed rotor and increased effective payload weight of approximately 50kg.
The BK117 is used in a number of different roles, including air medical, firefighting, disaster prevention, and aerial policing.
Aero Asahi previously acquired a flight training device for the H145/BK117 D-3 from Entrol and ANA Trading Corp in September 2022. The simulator offers specific training for emergency medical services (EMS) and search and rescue (SAR) procedures.
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.