Guardian Flight, which is part of the Global Medical Response critical care air transport company, plans open its first rotor-wing base in Alaska at Kenai Municipal Airport this spring. An Airbus H125 helicopter will serve Kenai Peninsula’s hospitals including South Peninsula Hospital in Homer, Central Peninsula Hospital in Soldotna, and Providence Seward Medical Center in Seward.
“[Global Medical Response] and Guardian Flight Alaska are pleased to expand our services to now include helicopter support for emergency patient airlifts in addition to interfacility transfers,” said Jared Sherman, VP of northwest operations for Global Medical Response (GMR).
The Guardian Flight Kenai base will operate 24/7 with a crew of four pilots, four clinicians and two mechanics. The dedicated medically equipped Airbus H125 helicopter has a range of more than 300 nautical miles and a top speed of 140 knots. GMR notes Guardian Flight’s enhanced cabin H125 helicopter can carry a pilot, patient, nurse and paramedic, plus life-saving medical equipment.
Guardian Flight’s first helicopter air medical base in the state will join 11 fixed-wing medically equipped aircraft that provide life- and limb-saving flights across Alaska. Bombardier Learjet 45s fly from Guardian Flight bases in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan. Dead Horse, Kotzebue, Fairbanks and Juneau operate a Beechcraft King Air B200 and Anchorage flies two B200s. A Cessna Caravan is based in Dillingham.
