STAT MedEvac will soon be
the first air medical transport service in North America to operate Airbus H135
helicopters equipped with Helionix, an innovative and powerful avionics system.
The Pennsylvania-based
critical care transport team has placed orders with Airbus Helicopters Inc. for
three new H135s to replace older aircraft in its fleet, with delivery scheduled
for the fourth quarter of 2017.
The Airbus developed
Helionix system, an advanced avionics suite that increases mission flexibility
and enhances flight safety, will be standard equipment on new production H135s.
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Photo: Christian D
Keller |
Comprised of two computers
and a one-of-a-kind cockpit layout, Helionix includes up to four electronic
displays designed to improve pilots’ situational awareness. The system provides
a four-axis autopilot to reduce pilot workload and a Traffic Advisory System
that improves safety by assisting pilots in detecting and avoiding other
aircraft.
“The addition of these H135s
builds upon STAT’s commitment to safety,” said
Doug Garretson,
President, and CEO of STAT MedEvac. STAT MedEvac was the first air medical
transport program in North America to operate the EC135 and the EC135
certificated for Single Pilot IFR.
“STAT MedEvac maintains the
highest degree of safety in all our operations, and we are very proud of our
safety culture,” Garretson said. “We are thankful the H135 series continues to
evolve, enabling us to operate to the standards we set. We continue to invest in
twin-engine, IFR platforms, and the H135 delivers what we need to meet our goals
for the product and support.”
“All of us at Airbus are
extremely proud that STAT MedEvac, one of the world’s outstanding air medical
transport providers with a superb safety record, has chosen to upgrade its fleet
with the Helionix-equipped H135,” said
Chris Emerson, President of Airbus
Helicopters Inc. “Helionix is the latest Airbus product improvement that will
significantly enhance the safety of helicopter operations.”
With 17 sites in
Pennsylvania and surrounding states, STAT MedEvac is the critical care transport
system for the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania and is one
of the largest air medical providers in the United States. STAT MedEvac flies a
combination of Airbus H135 and H145 series helicopters. |