LifeFlight of Maine acquires AW109SP

LifeFlight of Maine has announced its acquisition of a Leonardo AW109SP twin-engine helicopter to support its air medical operations.

The US-based critical care air ambulance provider now operates a fleet of four AW109SPs, and maintains two older AW109Es as backup aircraft.

The new helicopter, named Yankee Mike, has now been delivered to LifeFlight’s hangar in Bangor, Maine. However, prior to its official launch into service, the aircraft is currently awaiting air medical certification by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The addition of the new rotorcraft will allow LifeFlight to begin the phasing out of the two AW109Es, improving standardization and operational efficiency.

“The different models may seem the same to the naked eye, but when you look in the cockpits, the avionics between the E models and the SPs are very different,” said Peter Cartmell, Director of Operations at LifeFlight of Maine. “Every time pilots switch back and forth, there is a bit of a learning curve. We also must train new pilots on both systems, which takes additional time and resources.”

He continued: “The autopilot in the SP is a four-axis autopilot, as opposed to a three-axis autopilot in the E models. As a result, they are a lot more stable and have more capability for instrument approaches than E models have.”

Saudi Arabia’s The Helicopter Company (THC) recently placed an order for 11 additional Leonardo AW139 helicopters as part of a modernization program that includes support for emergency medical services (EMS).