The new EMS helicopter in Gotland has met criticism in the media due to its current weight limit in the European Union. The newspaper Gotlands Tidningar states that the helicopter’s limited maximum takeoff weight rules out the option to bring a doctor in addition to the standard crew when needed by a critically ill patient. The municipality of Gotland, “Region Gotland”, says that the hospital will use the local Search and Rescue helicopter in exceptional cases. The normal crew on board the brand new Bell 429 consists of one pilot, one flight nurse and one HEMS crew member.

The helicopter model is currently limited to a maximum takeoff weight of 3175 kg (7000 lb), which is its original weight limit. A total of 17 countries worldwide have currently approved a weight exemption for the 429, which boosts the MTOW by some ~230 kg, to 3402 kg (7500 lb). The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has not approved the increased gross weight, and neither has the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Some of the countries that have accepted Bell Helicopter’s request include Canada, Brazil, New Zealand, India, China, Mexico and Nigeria.

Reproduced from Nordic Rotors with permission. This is NOT a press release. HeliHub.com has an exclusive agreement with Nordic Rotors which allows us to reproduce stories, but not accompanying images. All images with this story have been separately researched by the HeliHub.com team. Copyright and full responsibility for the content of this article remains with Nordic Rotors.