First Of Two Aircraft For Wisconsin Company

The first of the Flight For Life Transport System's two new EC145s has entered into service. The aircraft was inaugurated on Tuesday, during a ceremony at Flight For Life's Waukesha, Wisconsin headquarters, where the helicopter will be based. The aircraft, as well as the second EC145, was completed by Helicopter Specialties (HSI) in Janesville, Wisconsin, where the EMS interior and other non-standard items were installed.

The aircraft is fitted with wire strike protection, Honeywell Mark II Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System, dual WAAS GPS units, weather radar, and an extensive communications and avionics package. The aircraft is Night Vision Goggle (NVG) compatible, and is scheduled to be NVG operational by the end of the year. The EC145s are certified to be flown single pilot IFR, a capability Flight For Life plans to have in place within the next eighteen months. The aircraft also features the very first NAT Digital Audio Control System (DACS) to be installed in a helicopter in the United States. The EC145 is powered by two Turbomeca ARRIEL engines.

"Flight For Life's number one priority is safety," said Jim Singer, Transport System Director for Flight For Life. "Our organization, and the aircraft we fly, is built around safety of the patients, the agencies we interact with, and our personnel.

"When we were ready to expand our fleet, we looked at available twin engine aircraft as well as at upgrading our current aircraft, and concluded that the EC145 was the best product to meet our needs," Singer continued. "Improvements in technology and aircraft design have created a wide variety of safety options to choose from that were not available even a few years ago.  Acquiring the EC145s and outfitting them accordingly made the most sense for us."

"The EC145 is particularly well-adapted to EMS missions and has seen wide acceptance with a growing number of air medical operators in the United Sates and around the world," said Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter.  "We are very pleased that a fine organization such as Flight For Life has added the EC145 to their fleet."

 Flight For Life has three bases located in Waukesha/Milwaukee and Fond du Lac, WI, and McHenry, IL. Their second EC145 is scheduled to enter service by mid-July and will be based in McHenry.

FMI: www.eurocopterusa.com