Air Evac uses new night vision goggles to find lost hikers

Air Evac Lifeteam Press Release

MIDDLESBORO — When Air Evac Lifeteam kicked off its Night Vision Goggle (NVG) training program in Middlesboro, Ky., the crew got the opportunity to see firsthand how much the program will benefit the communities they serve.

At the end of their first day of training on Friday, the crew received a call for a search and rescue mission in Speedwell, Tenn., in Claiborne County, for two adults and two children who had hiked up the Cumberland Mountain that afternoon and had not returned home.

The crew, headed up by their NVG instructor, decided to try out their newly learned skills, and located the missing people a short time later, who saw the aircraft and signaled from the north side of the mountain with flashlights. They were able to lead the fire department to the area so the hikers could be rescued and safely returned to home.

“We were very excited,” said Middlesboro Air Evac Lifeteam Program Director Joe Bradshaw. “We couldn’t have asked for a better opportunity to try out the equipment and show the crew firsthand exactly how much of a benefit it will be. Our first mission was a huge success!”

The Middlesboro base is one of six Air Evac Lifeteam bases slated to undergo NVG training in the next few months.

Air Evac Lifeteam, the largest independently owned air medical service in the United States, recently received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to use NVGs as part of its operations.

Air Evac purchased 25 sets of ANVIS 9 goggles, manufactured by ITT Technologies and will begin training with them at air medical bases in eastern Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

“This is an exciting time for Air Evac Lifeteam as we move into this new phase of operations,” said Director of Operations Stu Buckingham. “Having this additional resource available will enhance our operations and will increase the comfort level of our pilots and crews when flying night missions.

“Safety has always been paramount in this company as we work to create the safest working environment possible for our crews and our patients,” Buckingham added. “This is another step we are taking to increase safety within the company and stay abreast of new technology and advancements in the field of aviation and EMS.”

Bradshaw said the eastern Kentucky area served by the Middlesboro base includes the Cumberland Mountain range and offers many challenges and obstacles to our pilots and crews. “Having NVGs aboard our aircraft will enable us to provide our customers with increased access to our services and a safer operating environment. We’re looking forward to getting the rest of our crews trained and putting the goggles into full use in our operations.”

Air Evac Lifeteam Bell 206 LongRanger helicopters are in the process of being reconfigured to meet NVG compatibility requirements and pilots and medical crewmembers using the new equipment will begin undergoing an extensive training program, approved by the FAA.

Buckingham said this new technology, paired with Air Evac’s recent implementation of Garmin 396 GPS systems with XM weather, will increase the capability of company pilots to evaluate both terrain and current weather systems in support of Air Evac’s lifesaving mission.

“The Garmin systems have been installed in all aircraft, giving all company pilots the ability to have near real-time weather data available at their fingertips while in the cockpit,” Buckingham explained. “Air Evac has not experienced a single weather-related incident or accident in more than 17 years of operation, and we’re proud to have this new technology available to help us continue that tradition of safe operations.”

Air Evac Lifeteam is a leading provider of air medical transportation to rural communities, providing patients high caliber on-the-scene medical attention during the critical hour following an accident or medical emergency, and rapid transport to leading medical centers. The membership-supported air ambulance service operates 74 in 12 centrally-located states.

For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam services, call 1-800-793-0010 or visit www.lifeteam.net

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