Life Flight Network - Portland Oregon helicopter and fixed wing medical transport service

Life Flight Network upgrades helicopter


Emergency - The service buys a faster, more versatile and sophisticated Bell 407

Wednesday, June 06, 2007
by: PATRICK O'NEILL (Oregonian - http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian)

A faster-flying, cheaper-to-maintain helicopter with a quieter and roomier interior will begin carrying patients to hospitals in the Portland area on Monday.

The Life Flight Network emergency helicopter service purchased a Bell 407 helicopter to replace a four-year-old Bell 206.

Mike Griffiths, Life Flight's interim executive director, said the new $2.4 million aircraft can fly as fast as 160 miles per hour, compared with the current model's 120 miles per hour. Griffiths said the increased airspeed will allow shorter turnaround times, making the craft available for trips as far away as 175 miles.

The new chopper is equipped with more sophisticated safety gear than the older one, including night-vision goggles and a more powerful searchlight, he said.

As with the older model, the helicopter comes with fins on the top and bottom that can sever power lines that the pilot might accidentally encounter.

The craft looks similar to the previous model except that its rotor has four blades instead of two, giving it more power and agility, Griffiths said.

The Bell 407 will be housed at Hillsboro Airport, where Life Flight's aircraft are based. In addition to the helicopter, the organization has two fixed-wing aircraft.

The older helicopter, which is leased, will be returned to its owner, Bell Helicopter, he said.

Griffiths said the organization annually carries about 1,200 patients, including trauma, burn, neonatal, cardiac and obstetric cases.

Life Flight, a nonprofit organization, is operated by a consortium of Legacy Health System, Oregon Health & Science University and Providence Health System.

Patrick O'Neill; 503-221-8233; poneill@news.oregonian.com

Courtesy of the Oregonian.