The AirLink helicopter lands at NHRMC on Aug. 30, 2012. StarNews photo by Paul Stephen.
Q. Does New Hanover hospital have a plan to prevent their helicopters from crashing into the residential neighborhood? Some of them fly in very low.
A. “New Hanover Regional Medical Center AirLink has an excellent safety record and follows strict guidelines to safely transport patients and minimize the disruption for neighbors of the hospital as much as possible,” said Erin Balzotti, a spokeswoman for the hospital. “AirLink helicopter crews follow Federal Aviation Administration policy on flight altitudes and NHRMC’s ‘Fly Neighborly Policy’ establishes guidelines for approach and departure routes that do not fly over neighborhoods when possible, except in the case of an emergency or for safety purposes. Pilots with Air Methods Corporation, an air medical transport company that owns and operates NHRMC AirLink helicopters, have a lot of experience. They are required to log a minimum of 2,000 hours of flight time before they are considered for a position as an air ambulance pilot. In addition, both NHRMC AirLink helicopters are equipped with advanced Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS) that alert pilots to potential obstacles in the terrain.”
RELATED LINKS:
StarNews: Hospital adds second helicopter
Who operates the helicopters that fly to and from New Hanover Regional Medical Center?
Why do they keep flying that police helicopter over my neighborhood?
Date posted: February 12, 2013
User-contributed question by:
Anonymous
I hate to suggest the question was sent in by someone who knows very little, if anything, about aircraft safety. The pilots are highly trained and (most likely) not only fly patients to the hospital, but continue to study and practice to ensure they are up to date on just about anything you could think of that would involve aircraft safety.