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enhanced safety features enable us to be continuously at the ready and meet our mission of saving lives with industry leading care and transport.” said Ben Clayton, interim CEO.
Life Flight Network Invests in Safety, Expands Access to Air Medical Transport with Addition of 12 New Bell 407GXi Helicopters
Life Flight Network will add 12 Bell 407GXi helicopters to its air medical fleet. Delivery of the aircraft will begin in May 2022 and will bring the total number of Bell 407GX series helicopters operated by Life Flight Network to 17. Life Flight Network also operates a host of other helicopters and airplanes throughout its service area.
The addition of these IFR-certified Bell 407GXi helicopters will allow the program to continue to strategically position its bases to serve rural communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West.
“Life Flight Network is excited to add more Bell 407GXi helicopters to our fleet. The aircraft’s proven reliability and
With a range of over 400 miles and an airspeed of 161 miles per hour, the Bell 407GXi is able to quickly transport patients to a higher level of care when they need it most. The aircraft also has a power-to-weight ratio that provides for excellent performance at the higher altitudes within Life Flight Network’s service area. Also enhancing the transport environment are the aircraft’s large bifold side door for ease and speed of patient loading and a three-axis autopilot that contributes to improved safety. Additionally, all 12 aicraft will come certified for instrument flight rules (IFR), which allow for a greater margin of safety and additional operational capabilities.
Each Bell 407GXi will be equipped with a Spectrum Aeromed medical interior, which provides for equipment necessary for ICU-level care provided in transport. These aircraft are staffed with a certified flight registered nurse and a certified flight paramedic who possses the experience and training that enables them to provide an advanced scope of practice to their patients. Critical care services can include mechanical ventilation, cardiac monitoring, maintenance of hemodynamic intravenous infusions, and the administration of blood products.
“Bell is proud to provide Life Flight Network with the most capable and technologically advanced aircraft on the market,” said Jay Ortiz, vice president of Commerical Business for the Americas. “The Bell 407GXi with IFR capabilities will ensure Life Flight Network’s critical response team is able to perform their mission in any environment.”
American Helicopter Museum
Premiered Documentary About Vietnam Vet’s Extraordinary Life
The American Helicopter Museum & Education Center (AHMEC) recently premiered “Flying without Failing,” a documentary by director Fabrice Page.
The film reveals the fascinating and colorful life of Walter Gutsche, one of
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a handful of maverick helicopter pilots ever to have survived the Vietnam War and flown for 50 years without a single incident, garnering a 50-year safety award. Filled with anecdotes, personal interviews and never-seen vintage first- person footage of helicopter operations, the documentary outlines how an ordinary kid from New Jersey, through grit and smarts, became an extraordinary pilot who dedicated his life to saving and training others without forgetting to have fun along the way.
Breaking with the established format of feature-length documentaries, Paget tells Gutsche’s story without using narration. The movie, which could be subtitled, “Walter and the Choppers: What 50 Years Flying Helicopters Teaches You,” features Gutsche’s own photographs and eight-millimeter films that offer a rare
glimpse of life as an Army helicopter pilot and instructor.
“I’ve always loved helicopters,” explained Gutsche. “As a child I was fascinated by a TV series on mountain rescue in the Swiss Alps using bright red helicopters. As an adult, I was fortunate to be able to afford learning to fly these extraordinary machines and discovered a world of amazingly interesting characters. When life took me to Philadelphia, I discovered the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester and its volunteers.”
Gutsche met Piaget while volunteering at AHMEC several years ago. After thinking many times that his life sounded like a movie, he and Paget frequently discussed the possibility of collaborating on such a project, and the amazing “Flying without Failing” was born.
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