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Allegheny General Hospital Life Flight Buys EC145s to Replace MD-900s
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, May 08, 2006
Allegheny General Hospital has selected four American Eurocopter EC145s to replace four MD-900s being used by Allegheny's renowned LifeFlight AMS service. With over 40,000 missions under its belt, Allegheny General Hospital's LifeFlight AMS is a familiar sight in the skies of west Pennsylvania, southeastern Ohio, northern West Virginia, and western Maryland.
The decision to buy the four EC145s came after Allegheny conducted a competitive biddingprocess in which Agusta, American Eurocopter, and Bell took part. Two of the EC145s will be delivered in early 2007; the other two in mid-2007.
"The Eurocopter EC145 won based on its airframe, range and weight-lifting capacity, which fits LifeFlight's AMS mission profile nicely," says Cathy Fackovec, LifeFlights's Administrative Director of Emergency Service. "As well, the EC145's IFR equipment allows us to do these missions without compromising fuel economy."
"The EC145 is also a very quiet aircraft; a factor that's important in our noise-sensitive neighborhoods," Fackovec adds. "American Eurocopter has been extremely accommodating in letting us incorporate a number of value-added features and equipment in our new EC145s."
Providing ample room for a pilot and up to nine passengers, the EC145 is powered by two Turbomeca Arriel 1E2 turbine engines for powerful, reliable flight performance. It comes with a standard MEGHAS glass cockpit, and can be purchased with an optional IFR configuration with digital autopilot for either single or dual pilot applications. The EC145 has a service ceiling of 17,200 ft, a fast cruise speed of 132 kts, and can operate in temperatures ranging from -35 to +50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Besides the specific reasons that the EC145 won the Life Flight bidding process, "We chose Eurocopter because of its majority share of the U.S. AMS market and its abundant after-sales facilities," notes Fackovec. "With Eurocopter, we will be able to count on getting the parts and service we need when we need them. Such security with regards to after-sales support is vital to maintaining effective and efficient EMS operations and we believe that Eurocopter is best suited to afford the high level of service that we require."
About American Eurocopter (www.eurocopterusa.com)
American Eurocopter is the American subsidiary of Eurocopter, the largest helicopter manufacturer in the world, and EADS North America, the North American operations of EADS, the second largest aerospace and defense company in the world. American Eurocopter markets, sells and supports the broadest range of civil and para-public helicopters offered by any manufacturer. The product line represents the most cost-effective, technologically-advanced helicopters, ranging from light single to heavy twin, serving all markets and missions. American Eurocopter's headquarters and main facility are in Grand Prairie, TX, with a large new factory in Columbus, Mississippi.
