American Eurocopter announced today that University of Utah Health Care’s AirMed has ordered a new EC145® helicopter. AirMed was established in 1972 as the seventh air medical transport program in the country. This is the program’s first Eurocopter aircraft. “We are honored that such an outstanding program as AirMed has selected a Eurocopter product for their next helicopter,” said Marc Paganini, President and CEO of American Eurocopter. “The EC145’s capabilities are a good fit for their type of operation, and we are pleased to welcome them as our customer.”

The EC145, powered by two Turbomeca ARRIEL engines, offers versatility, longer range, a fast cruise speed and advanced technologies. With its high-set main and tail rotors, rear-loading clamshell doors, large cabin, extra payload capacity, unmatched visibility and additional safety features, the EC145 has become the helicopter platform of choice for EMS and other missions. “We evaluated several twin-engine aircraft before selecting the EC145,” said Robert Stantus, AirMed’s Program Manager. “The EC145 was the only aircraft that proved itself to be mission capable for the type of flying we do.”

AirMed’s main base is the University of Utah Hospital, an academic medical center, a Level I Trauma Center, a regional Burn Center and a major tertiary referral site. Over the last 30 years, AirMed has grown into an award-winning air medical transport service, which currently utilizes a fleet of four helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft. AirMed operates from six locations throughout the state and transports approximately 2,500 patients per year.

“Our operational parameters require an aircraft that has the power and capabilities to perform in a high-altitude, high desert environment, while also offering reliability, easy maintainability and a spacious cabin,” Stantus added. “The EC145 met our requirements perfectly. We are really looking forward to adding this aircraft to our fleet.”

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