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Pilatus PC-12 Fixed-Wing airplanes
Air
Life’s three
Pilatus PC-12 airplanes are based in Bend and La Grande, Ore. Because these
special planes boast a 2,000-mile range, they easily serve residents in areas
throughout the state—north to Enterprise,
south to Lakeview, east to Burns, John Day, and La Grande, and to hospitals
west of the Cascades.
These unique planes offer impressive landing capabilities; they need only 1,700 feet to takeoff and 800 feet to land. Their pressurized cabins enable flights up to 30,000 feet—far above most adverse weather conditions.
Airplane features:
- Flies at 320 mph.
- Offers tremendous stability in flight.
- Includes large, state-of-the-art medical cabin with 54-inch cargo door.
- Equipped with advanced instruments and GPS system.
- Certified to fly at night and in cloudy conditions.
- Carries up to two patients (or occasionally one patient and a family member).
- Equipped with sophisticated medical equipment used to treat injuries and stabilize patients during the flight.
Flight crew
In addition to a full-time pilot, a critical care
nurse and a respiratory therapist with advanced training in heart, trauma
and emergency care, are aboard each flight. A perinatal nurse is also available
for expectant mothers and newborns.
When emergency air transport is needed from accident scenes or facilities within 100 miles of Bend, Air Life’s American Eurocopter EC-145 is used.
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