Bell 429: HEMS interior with Air St Luke’s

Now we're looking at our latest Bell 429. I'm Doug Moore, Idaho Helicopters. What we probably like about this in the air ambulance role the most is the wide-open cabin, and just the overall easy use of the doors. We felt like as a program and as an operator, we needed to get about 200 pounds lighter -- we worked with Aerolite, and they came up with some ideas. This new system incorporates the Bell original floor track, and Aerolite adds their own track back here. It helps bridge some of the equipment, like the oxygen container rack over there. We are able to get rid of the cabinet weight and the heat exchanger weight that accompanies that as well -- we are pretty excited about that. The stretcher can be put on that side, you can order it in really any configuration that you want. Something that we like about this stretcher system is that in flight they have the ability to pull the patient up close for airway management -- the medical attendant sitting in this seat can work here, lower extremities, this person has easy access to anything else that they need -- suction, monitor, ventilator, and IV pumps. Aerolite built us a section of a floor that has the brown line tracking, just like the Bell tracks, that we could clip rings and straps and stuff to anchor and safely secure our stuff in the back, and it will also double as a second patient loading deck -- if you've operated in some of the other aircraft that are out there, and the single-engine versions in particular, cabin space is very cramped. We've operated smaller and single-engine helicopters in here, and I guarantee you this is a phenomenal amount of room for the guys. Every little bit counts.