At the Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) in September, Life Link III had on display a newly acquired AgustaWestland AW119Kx Koala helicopter at the Finmeccanica booth. The medically equipped helicopter is one of six new aircraft that the Minnesota-based HEMS operator acquired from AgustaWestland in 2014.
A replacement for leased Bell 407 helicopters, the Koala grants Life Link III more cabin space for upgraded medical equipment, and new Garmin G1000H avionics system. With operations at five bases across the state, all with varying flight times, the six new Koalas also give Life Link the capability of rotating the aircraft to manage maintenance times.
Life Link III’s new AgustaWestland AW119Kx is shown here landing at
“The medical crews have loved it,” Life Link III president and CEO Edward Eroe told Vertical. “It’s a lot more space on the inside for them to operate. We’ve upgraded all our medical equipment; staff likes that, pilots love it too.”
In the above video, Vertical checks in with Eroe for an update on the program’s new Koala operations.
