Mayo Clinic launches new air medical helicopter
The Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service has launched operations using a new H145 D3 helicopter in the US state of Minnesota
The new air ambulance aircraft, which is based at Mayo Clinic’s Saint Marys campus in Rochester, Minnesota, began serving patients on 6 February.
The H145 replaces an older helicopter previously used to operate the service, which will be retained for use as a backup when the primary helicopter is undergoing maintenance.
The H145 offers improved autopilot, safety features, and a higher weight limit than its predecessor. The latter will allow for more equipment and crew to be carried on missions.
Fellow air ambulance provider Guardian Flight unveiled its own new Bell 407GXi helicopter, based in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in June 2023.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at the Voyageur Group. 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.