Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Air Link unveiled its new Pilatus PC 12 fix-wing air ambulance Friday. The plane has a wide cargo door and is lower to the ground, making it easier to move patients, according to Air Link Medical Director Dr. Peter Meyer.
Air Link Medical Director Dr. Peter Meyer, center, answers questions during a press conference Friday as Air Link Chief Flight Nurse Tracy Meyer, RN, left, and Fixed Wing Pilot Jody Pillatzki, right, look on.
Air Link and Regional West recently announced a new option to their air ambulance fleet.
The organization now has the option of a Pilatus PC 12 jet. Regional West now has the option of dispatching a medical helicopter or the new plane.
Air Link Medical Director Dr. Peter Meyer said the company has been pursuing a fixed-wing response option for several years. He said in 1995, Dr. Lloyd Westbrook made Regional West a trauma center. Transportation was the key part of the program, according to Dr. Meyer. He said Regional West started pursuing a plane as part of its response fleet in 2010.
"We've been working on this for quite a while," he said.
Regional West and Air Link unveiled the new plane, estimated at about $4.5 million, during a press conference at Western Nebraska Regional Airport Friday. The Pilatus operates on a single engine with a cruising speed of 312 mph and a flight range of 1,750 miles. The medical helicopters are typically used within a range of 150 miles of Scottsbluff, Dr. Meyer said.
"It's really opened up our ability to take flights," he said.
Dr. Meyer and Air Link Chief Flight Nurse Tracy Meyer, RN, said there are several factors that lead to deciding on which craft to dispatch. Factors considered include weather conditions, distance to the patient and where the patient needs to be flown to and size of the patient. A helicopter has the option of landing at most hospitals, near a crash site or at an airport, while the jet is generally limited to an airport runway.
"Our goal is to have you out of the hospital in the shortest amount of time," Tracy Meyer said.
Dr. Meyer compared flying a patient by jet to a Denver facility, but having to transport the patient by ambulance to the hospital, while a chopper could land at the hospital, but has shorter flight range. Fixed-wing pilot Jody Pillatzki compared the Pilatus to a King Air twin-engine jet. He said the Pilatus needs a shorter runway than the King Air, and has almost the same horsepower as the twin-engine King Air. The Pilatus has a wider cargo door and is closer to the ground, allowing for easier patient transfer. It has a payload of about 2,000 pounds including crew and patient. The plane is equipped with everything medical staff would need in an Emergency Room, Meyer said.
With the addition of the Pilatus, Air Link has a staff of eight pilots; four fix-wing and four rotary (helicopter) aircraft. Air Link also has a full-time mechanic based at the Western Nebraska Regional Airport.
Dr. Meyer said Air Link's affiliation with Regional West allows for training of flight staff at most any time of day. Air Link also conducts safety zone landing training to coordinate with first responders on how to define a safe landing area for a medical helicopter and how to respond when one lands.
"Serving you is why we're here," said Tracy Meyer.
Air Link serves a five-state area of Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado with more than 300 bases. All team members are required to have advanced certification and at least three years of critical care experience before hire.
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