One main selling point of the AW169 is the available power and one-engine capability during hoist operations. Safety Officer Joe Lebraque explained, “With this aircraft, if we are hoisting a victim and lose an engine, we still have the ability to continue the hoist rescue. In the older aircraft, it would have been very difficult to complete the rescue.”
Central Texas is home to diverse and beautiful outdoor recreation areas. Some are remote and rugged, such as Enchanted Rock State Park. Even Austin has rugged wilderness areas within its city limits that are popular places for hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Several individuals each year become lost or injured within these areas and need rapid extraction and medical treatment.