EC145e delivered to Tampa General Hospital
Tampa General Hospital is upgrading its fleet of critical care helicopters with the addition of a new Airbus EC145e, which provides more cabin space and faster air speeds than their current primary aircraft
“This new medical air transport helicopter is an important part of Tampa General’s Aeromed Program and will play a key role in helping us provide potentially lifesaving care to critically ill or injured patients in 23 Florida counties,” said Michele Moran, Senior Director of Emergency Services, Tampa General Hospital.
“The larger interior means the medical flight crew has better access to care for patients, allows for improved views and communication between the pilot in the cockpit and the crew in the cabin or for a family member to accompany the patient, if appropriate,” said Moran. It is also ideal for easy and safe loading and unloading.
The new EC145e is equipped with Metro’s standard medical interior and Genesys Aerosystems’ instrumental flight rules (IFR) HeliSAS Autopilot and Stability Augmentation System, providing workload reduction for both single and dual pilot operations. The aircraft also has the Outerlink Global Solutions IRIS combined voice, video and flight data recorder system onboard. The video function and data monitoring can be used for pilot training, while the flight following, push-to-talk radio, and live alerts and warnings allow Metro’s Operational Control Center to monitor the location and condition of the aircraft and verify alerts and conditions in real time.
The purchase of a new aircraft is always an exciting time for anyone. It is even more exciting when you are a medevac company and purchase one! Sean Bryan of REVA Air Ambulance describes the role that he and the medical team play when it comes to converting a business jet into an aircraft fit for critical care medical transfers.