LifeFlight of Maine, the state’s only air ambulance service, added another medevac helicopter that’s newer, faster and slightly larger than its predecessor.
The aircraft is an Agusta 109 SP twin-engine helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo, an Italian company. LifeFlight acquired the helicopter, referred to as Yankee Mike for the last two characters in its tail number, N901YM, late last year and had the interior completely rebuilt to meet the specifications of its air medical transport program.
“We need to keep investing in these aircraft so that we can continue to fulfill our mission,” said Peter Cartmell, director of operations.
Hundreds of hours
Yankee Mike was built in 2018 and had 300 hours of flight time when it was acquired by LifeFlight. By comparison, LifeFlight puts an average of 535 hours of airtime on each of its helicopters every year.
With the addition of Yankee Mike, LifeFlight now has four Agusta 109 SP helicopters, which are an upgrade from their predecessor, the A109 E, which LifeFlight first began flying as its primary aircraft in 2005.
The first three Agusta 109 SP helicopters were purchased between 2017 and 2022. LifeFlight still owns two of the A109 E model aircraft, which it relies on during required maintenance intervals for its primary aircraft.
With the addition of the new helicopter, LifeFlight will begin phasing out its two A190 E helicopters.
Before Yankee Mike joined the fleet, the helicopter with the least airtime, Whiskey Mike, had 2,336 total hours.
“Most places, not necessarily EMS, will put 100 to 150 hours a year on a helicopter,” said Cartmell. “Because of the number of patients we care for and the distances across Maine, we put four or five times that many hours on our aircraft each year.”
The helicopters are configured to accommodate one pilot, two medical crew and one patient, and are equipped as mobile intensive care units.
Training efficiency
Standardizing LifeFlight’s helicopter fleet to all Agusta 109 SP models will help improve efficiency for helicopter pilots, who currently are trained to operate two different models of aircraft, according to a news release
“The different models may seem the same to the naked eye, but when you look in the cockpits, the avionics between the E models and the SPs are very different,” said Cartmell. “Every time pilots switch back and forth, there is a bit of a learning curve. We also must train new pilots on both systems, which takes additional time and resources.”
For example, the autopilot in the SP is a four-axis autopilot, as opposed to a three-axis autopilot in the E models. As a result, the SP is more stable and has more capability for instrument approaches than E models, said Cartmell.
The SP models are faster, traveling at an average speed of 165 miles per hour, and can make the trip from Bangor to Caribou in less than an hour. The SPs can fly approximately 1.5 hours before refueling, depending on weather conditions and other factors.
Additional space
The SP models are about 18 inches longer than the E models, creating more cabin room for the medical crew to care for a patient in the back of the helicopter.
“With all of our medical equipment on board, the back of the helicopter is pretty tight when caring for a patient, so every bit of additional space makes a difference for clinical crews,” said Chuck Hogan, chief clinical officer.
Work on Yankee Mike is complete and was delivered to LifeFlight’s Bangor hangar last week. The helicopter still needs to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration for air medical operations. Once that process is complete, the helicopter will officially join LifeFlight’s fleet.
The nonprofit LifeFlight of Maine is the state’s only air ambulance service and a joint venture partnership of Central Maine Healthcare and Northern Light Health. Since 1998, LifeFlight has transported more than 40,000 patients from every community in Maine.
LifeFlight’s airplane and five helicopters are based in Bangor at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and Bangor International Airport, Lewiston at Central Maine Medical Center and Auburn-Lewiston Airport and Sanford at Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport.
Along with dedicated ground ambulances, these vehicles cover the state and offshore islands. LifeFlight complements and supports the work of local emergency medical services and hospital personnel. The crew consists of pilots, flight nurses and flight paramedics, emergency medical technician vehicle operators, aviation maintenance technicians and communications specialists.
Earlier this month, the LifeFlight Foundation, the nonprofit’s fundraising arm, announced the addition of Steve Littleson as executive director, succeeding Kate O’Halloran. Littleson, a longtime health care executive, joined the foundation in April as strategic philanthropic advisor after stepping down in February as CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, one of LifeFlight’s joint venture partners.
