STAT MedEvac to be first U.S. air medical transport service provider to operate Helionix-equipped H135s

STAT MedEvac will soon be the first air medical transport service in North America to operate Airbus H135 helicopters equipped with Helionix, an innovative and powerful avionics system.

The Pennsylvania-based critical care transport team has placed orders with Airbus Helicopters Inc. for three new H135s to replace older aircraft in its fleet, with delivery scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2017.

The Airbus developed Helionix system, an advanced avionics suite that increases mission flexibility and enhances flight safety, will be standard equipment on new production H135s.

Comprised of two computers and a one-of-a-kind cockpit layout, Helionix includes up to four electronic displays designed to improve pilots’ situational awareness. The system provides a four-axis autopilot to reduce pilot workload and a Traffic Advisory System that improves safety by assisting pilots in detecting and avoiding other aircraft.

“The addition of these H135s builds upon STAT’s commitment to safety,” said Doug Garretson, President, and CEO of STAT MedEvac. STAT MedEvac was the first air medical transport program in North America to operate the EC135 and the EC135 certificated for Single Pilot IFR.

“STAT MedEvac maintains the highest degree of safety in all our operations, and we are very proud of our safety culture,” Garretson said. “We are thankful the H135 series continues to evolve, enabling us to operate to the standards we set. We continue to invest in twin-engine, IFR platforms, and the H135 delivers what we need to meet our goals for the product and support.”

“All of us at Airbus are extremely proud that STAT MedEvac, one of the world’s outstanding air medical transport providers with a superb safety record, has chosen to upgrade its fleet with the Helionix-equipped H135,” said Chris Emerson, President of Airbus Helicopters Inc. “Helionix is the latest Airbus product improvement that will significantly enhance the safety of helicopter operations.”

With 17 sites in Pennsylvania and surrounding states, STAT MedEvac is the critical care transport system for the Center for Emergency Medicine of Western Pennsylvania and is one of the largest air medical providers in the United States. STAT MedEvac flies a combination of Airbus H135 and H145 series helicopters.