Flying doctors, Saving lives

The Pilatus PC-12, one of the most popular turbine-powered aircraft in the market, is now being used by Medanta-The Medicity, a leading multispecialty hospital at the National Capital Region, for its air ambulance services launched in June this year. The Pilatus PC-12 is a perfect air ambulance aircraft, bringing the finest care to the farthest corners so that anyone who lives, works or travels in remote and rural areas can enjoy the best of health care.

Medanta-The Medicity launched its dedicated air ambulance service and is now the first hospital in India to have a hospitalbased air ambulance at its disposal. The project is the result of work by Dr Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Director of the hospital, who wanted to introduce a fully-equipped flying intensive care unit to India in order to overcome the combined challenges of distance, time and specialised patient care. A team of medical practitioners, women’s health doctors, registered nurses, allied health professionals, pilots and administrators, who aim at providing high class medical evacuation from the remotest of areas to metro hospitals would be available onboard. The specialised team of 40 doctors from different specialties would be ready to provide onboard medical support. The air ambulance is equipped with state-of-the-art life-saving equipment back up and specialised medical teams of Medanta–The Medicity. Three Pilatus PC-12 NG aircraft have been customised to function as ICU units onboard to give real-time critical care to patients while they are being evacuated to a hospital after a medical emergency, such as a heart attack or multiple bullet wounds.

Demand for first-class ambulance aircraft continues to grow exponentially. The PC-12 has successfully proved its credentials in this field to clients around the world. Operators are impressed by the aircraft’s flexibility and high availability. The PC-12 is an ideal ambulance aircraft, not least for its low operating costs and unique ability to operate in and out of unmade runways. Precision Swiss engineering and construction are what make the PC-12 such a popular aircraft. The ability to operate from different types of unprepared airstrips and in the harshest environments have proven the prowess of PC-12 in penetrating remote areas otherwise only accessible by helicopters but with the speed, range and economy of a fixed-wing aircraft. The “Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia” (RFDS), and ORNGE of Canada have long been enthusiastic users of specially configured PC-12s for medical missions. The RFDS, one of the largest and most comprehensive aero medical organisations in the world which provides emergency and primary healthcare services for those living in rural, remote and regional areas of Australia, currently operates a fleet of over 30 PC-12s.

Proven all-rounder

With over 1,200 aircraft sold so far, the versatile PC-12 NG performs many roles worldwide, including executive transport, commuter, medical evacuation (medevac), police and border surveillance, cargo transport, military liaison, and regional airliner government special mission applications. The PC-12 fleet has amassed over four million flight hours of operating experience, including thousands of hours in some of the world’s harshest environments. For 11 consecutive years, PC-12 operators have ranked Pilatus customer support as the best in the industry in an annual survey conducted by Professional Pilot magazine.

The Pilatus PC-12 is all about performance, versatility and economy. It represents a great combination of capacity, amenity, speed, range and performance – made all the more compelling by the modest acquisition and operating costs.

Fast and easy loading and unloading: The PC-12 has a massive (53" x 52") cargo door and 2,850 lbs (1,292 kg) payload capacity, allowing the PC-12 to be loaded easily with medical stretchers. The generous pressurised cabin–over 8 m³–offers sufficient space and comfort for up to three patients plus medical systems. The large cargo door ensures easy loading and unloading, and the cabin can be reconfigured in line with the mission profile.