Care Flight receives $3.25 million pledge for new helicopter

Care Flight, operated by REMSA Health, has secured a US$3.25 million conditional pledge from the William N. Pennington Foundation toward the purchase of one of two urgently needed helicopters. To unlock the funding, REMSA Health must raise a matching $3.25 million.

The new Airbus H125 B3e will be stationed permanently at Care Flight’s Gardnerville, Nevada, base, replacing an older model currently in service. If fulfilled, the pledge will be the second-largest gift in REMSA Health’s history, following a previous Pennington Foundation donation that funded a helicopter now based in Fallon.

“This is a unique moment for our community – every dollar donated brings us twice as close to putting a new aircraft into service,” said Angelina Craig, REMSA Health’s Managing Director of Philanthropy. “We rely on community support to ensure every patient, no matter where they live, has access to lifesaving care.”

In addition to enhancing patient care, the fundraising campaign will provide wider public safety benefits. Once the new aircraft enters service – expected in late 2026 – REMSA Health will donate its existing 2012 AS350 B3 helicopter to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office. The aircraft will be reconfigured for law enforcement and rescue missions, replacing an aging OH-58 Kiowa in the Sheriff’s Office’s Regional Aviation Enforcement Unit (RAVEN) program.

“Healthcare for these communities is fragile,” said Barry Duplantis, REMSA Health’s President and CEO. “Through the Pennington Foundation’s generosity, we can preserve access to emergency air ambulance transport and strengthen regional emergency response.”

Care Flight recently announced the arrival of a new helicopter located at its Gardnerville, Nevada base.