North Flight Aero Med, a service of Munson Healthcare and Corewell Health, announced today it is adding a Beechcraft King Air B-250 airplane to its fleet. This aircraft will become the new primary airplane for the air ambulance operator in northern Michigan while its current King Air B-200 is moved to a support position.
“The NFAM airplane is a crucial resource for air ambulance transports in northern Michigan and this new airplane will allow for uninterrupted service in times of maintenance related downtime.” said Tiffany Obetts, director, North Flight Aero Med. The airplane is used for long distance critical care transports as well as transports during weather where the helicopter cannot fly.
Obetts said that North Flight Aero Med is also expecting a new Sikorsky S-76 C++ to be added to its fleet later this Spring. It will replace the current Sikorsky S-76 B that has served the program for the past seven years. “The investment in these new aircraft demonstrates community commitment from Munson and Corewell Health and will serve us many years to come.”
With speeds up to 350 mph and a range of over 1,500 miles, the King Air is a safe and reliable airplane for the hundreds of patient missions flown all over the Great Lakes Region each year.
The new airplane will have a staff designed patient care area, state of the art avionics, and will feature a powered lift system to assist in the safe loading and unloading of patients.
North Flight Aero Med has been providing ICU level care in the sky for decades. Based in Traverse City, Michigan, North Flight Aero Med cares for patients needing transport from scenes of accidents and hospitals within and outside the Munson Healthcare and Corewell Health systems. North Flight Aero Med’s clinical capabilities include blood products, specialty medications, high flow nasal cannula, cardiac device transport and neonatal transports.