Michael L. Sweeney, COB & CEO of USAIG and Michael Lowman, USAIG VP & Manager –Dallas, presented a check to Eric Von Wenckstern, Memorial Hermann, Aviation Director, as part of the Safety Bucks program designed to encourage additional training for pilots and mechanics.

USAIG partners with Eurocopter and several other helicopter manufacturers to reward premier accounts for safety and their commitment to training.

Memorial Hermann Life Flight is a CAMTS accredited, critical care, air medical transport service based in Houston, Texas. They serve the community within a 150-mile radius of the Texas Medical Center with helicopters and worldwide using fixed-wing transport.

They are the only hospital-based air ambulance serving Houston and surrounding communities. Founded in 1976 by James “Red” Duke, M.D., who still is medical director, the service operates around the clock – weather permitting – 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Since its inaugural flight, Memorial Hermann Life Flight has flown more than 120,000 missions. The Memorial Hermann Life Flight staff consists of 18 pilots, 18 flight nurses, 16 flight paramedics, 10 dispatchers and 8 mechanics. Each helicopter is inspected and serviced daily.

About USAIG
The USAIG, which was founded in 1928, is a group of insurance companies organized to provide a complete spectrum of aviation insurance for owners, operators, manufacturers and maintainers of corporate, private and commercial aircraft. As of February 1, 2010, the USAIG preferred policyholder program for helicopter operators was composed of approximately 50 helicopter operators and 175 helicopters.