AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, is pleased to announce that Intermountain Healthcare has signed for three GrandNew helicopters with options for two additional aircraft. These aircraft will be equipped to provide industry leading in-flight patient care and will also benefit from the world’s most technologically advanced avionics system ever to fly in a helicopter of this class. Operated by Intermountain Life Flight, Intermountain Healthcare’s aviation division, these aircraft will join two A109K2’s already in service performing critical medevac missions in Utah and Northern Nevada.

“We are proud to continue our partnership with Intermountain Healthcare,” said Louis Bartolotta, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales, North America, “The GrandNew helicopter offers increased performance, allowing the helicopter to be operated as an airborne intensive care unit with unprecedented situational awareness and safety. Intermountain Healthcare is widely seen as a leader in modern healthcare, we are proud to do our part in supporting their work. With this order, we will continue to support the community served by Intermountain Life Flight and Intermountain Healthcare for years to come. We do so with a program at the leading edge of the aero-medical community using a fleet of GrandNews, an aircraft at the leading edge of aviation technology. We are proud of our ongoing affiliation with Intermountain Healthcare. ” “This is a wonderful opportunity for Intermountain Life Flight to reach its goal of fleet standardization while benefiting from AgustaWestland’s technological advances and enhanced operations with the GrandNew,” said Jerry Morrison, Executive Director, Intermountain Life Flight.

Each GrandNew will be equipped with modern, comprehensive EMS interior featuring single or dual stretchers in addition to a rescue hoist, wire strike protection, snow skis and NVG compatibility. These aircraft will be completed and delivered at AgustaWestland’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania production facility. The AgustaWestland GrandNew marks a world first and the start of a new technological era for commercial helicopters with the integration of advanced vision systems to deliver a new level of situation and terrain awareness to pilots, greatly enhancing safety. The GrandNew is the first helicopter in its class to incorporate a Synthetic Vision System (SVS), Highway in The Sky (HITS) and Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (HTAWS) to provide full terrain and obstacle awareness in low visibility flying conditions. The system provides the pilot with three dimensional guidance and detailed terrain maps, resulting in an advanced operating capability which sets a new benchmark in safety. The GrandNew also already meets the latest NTSB/FAA recommendations for EMS operations to consider the use of an FAA-approved night vision goggle or enhanced vision system into flight programmes, when conditions and missions dictate. Orders for over 50 Grand News helicopters have been made so far by customers worldwide. Intermountain Healthcare has received extensive praise from many in the healthcare community, including the President of the United States, as an example of an innovative and successful healthcare organization. Intermountain Healthcare’s Life Flight division has adopted the highest safety standards and is a leader in providing safety training to their community partners.