One of the largest children's hospitals in the US has confirmed the purchase of two Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopters for its ‘Angel Flight' air medical critical care programme.
Arkansas Children's Hospital uses Angel Flight to provide transport to critically ill and injured youngsters in Arkansas and surrounding states. The hospital also houses Arkansas's only burns centre.
The new aircraft will transport flight nurses, flight respiratory therapists and physicians to patients with severe trauma, neonatal, paediatric intensive care and burns conditions. Deliveries will take place by the end of 2002.
ICU
The aircraft interior will be equipped as a flying intensive care unit, capable of carrying two patients, a four–person medical team, plus a corporeal membrane oxygenation pump, which serves as a heart/lung bypass for critically-ill patients.
Arkansas Children's Hospital will receive the first S-76C+ equipped with the Honeywell Mark XXII enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), providing real-time situational awareness of surrounding terrain and obstacles, to avoid controlled flight into terrain.
Other new features include the Garmin GPS500 system with moving map display, Satellite Skywatch traffic collision avoidance system and a satellite communication system.
"Igor Sikorsky dedicated his life's work to building helicopters because he believed they could save lives," says Jeanne Connor-Osborn, Sikorsky's air medical mission specialist.
"The Angel Flight programme is a noble fulfilment of that dream and we are honoured that the Arkansas Children's Hospital has selected the Sikorsky S-76C+ EMS helicopter to serve this vital mission."
Source: Flight Daily News
