Geneva University Hospital (HUG) has taken delivery of its upgraded EC135 T2+ rotorcraft following a GTN750 cockpit modernisation project courtesy of RUAG. Says technical manager and paramedic Adrian Hirt: "We were looking for a company that was able to do a 500 hours inspection and install the Helisafe HUMS and the Garmin GTN750 simultaneously, with an acceptable turnaround time. RUAG met our needs for this work."

The Swiss MRO provider had already completed a 1,000 hours inspection on a GUH helicopter and Hirt was very happy with the job and the competitive price.

"With the old technology, one pilot was forever manipulating the GPS and acquiring satellites took a very long time," he continues. "On short missions this greatly increased stress and made IFR missions unnecessarily complicated.

"With the GTN750 the handling is very easy and intuitive, and we acquire satellites quickly. GPS, radios, NAV, transponder and IFR are all included in the installation and this assists a lot; all manipulations can be carried out quickly and easily, which increases safety in flight as it means that the two pilots can focus on looking outside. With the ADS-B out option of the Garmin transponder, our helicopter is also ready for the regulations that lie ahead."

He believes that the EC135 has exceptionally good dispatch with favourable maintenance costs, and adds that the weight and size of the helicopter allow landings in urban areas and close to accident scenes. "The low vibration level is most appreciated by our crews and patients," he explains. "The possibility to load the patient laterally or by the rear shell doors is a plus, and our central panel display system decreases pilot workload. We have very good visibility from the cockpit and that increases the safety of our missions."