Guardian Flight upgrades to Learjet 45s
Guardian Flight LLC, an air medical transport company, is transitioning its medical jet fleet in Alaska, US, to Learjet 45s, the first of which will enter service this month based in Fairbanks
Guardian Flight LLC, an air medical transport company, is transitioning its medical jet fleet in Alaska, US, to Learjet 45s, the first of which will enter service this month based in Fairbanks.
Eventually, five Learjet 45s will replace Guardian Flight’s older and smaller Learjet 35s and Beechjets. Compared to the smaller jets, the mid-size Learjet 45s will provide better reliability, improved flight performance and braking, increased parts availability and more modern avionics for better cockpit standardization and less pilot workload. Guardian Flight President and Air Medical Group Holdings (AMGH) CEO Fred Buttrell commented on the transition: “AMGH purchased the Guardian Flight operation with the intention of improving the medical jet fleet to deliver better air medical transportation and care for Alaskans. This boost to fleet performance and medical care represents our goal of providing the best servant care for Alaska patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Four of the newer Learjet 45s will be housed at bases in Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Anchorage and Juneau. The fifth Learjet 45 will operate as a backup when aircraft are out of service for routine maintenance or to meet higher flight requirements during times of higher demand.
Guardian Flight Alaska's Chief Pilot Tim Manier said: "Our Learjet pilots are receiving training in the Learjet 45s at FlightSafety International’s base in Tucson, Arizona. We anticipate that the fleet transition to Learjet 45s will be complete by mid-summer provided the FAA can maintain its schedule on conformity and operational specifications."
Guardian Flight, recently acquired by AMGH, operates a fleet of approximately 85 fixed and rotor wing aircraft dedicated to air medical flights in the Upper Midwest, Mountain West, Southwest, Alaska and Hawaii. With more than 800 professional staff, including clinical providers, pilots, mechanics, trained communicators and support staff, Guardian Flight's aircraft and associated medical crews are at 54 bases in 13 states that serve a total of 15 states.