Independent, non-profit healthcare system Enloe Health has unveiled its new Airbus H130 helicopter during a recent dedication ceremony at the Chico Air Museum. Enloe Health’s FlightCare is the only hospital-owned and operated air ambulance programme in California. The H130 arrived in Chico in June, after being manufactured by Airbus in France and retrofitted as an air ambulance by United Rotorcraft in Colorado.

The new aircraft is an updated version of Enloe Health’s existing H130. Both helicopters have additional space to accommodate lifesaving technologies such as a temperature-controlled incubator for newborns and specialised equipment to transport complex heart patients. Additionally, they have extra seating to help keep families together during transport.

“FlightCare is a pillar of our services, and this new addition to the fleet will fortify this essential programme,” says Mike Wiltermood, Enloe Health president and CEO. “Knowing that our patients have access to air transportation for the most critical situations, operated by a fantastic crew of pilots, flight nurses and paramedics, provides peace of mind to many in our communities.”

Recent years have proved particularly busy. FlightCare provided 1,040 patient transports in 2022, 923 in 2023 and 239 in the first quarter of 2024. FlightCare’s primary aircraft flies around 1,000 hours a year. A scheduled rotation between the current H130 and the new aircraft will allow Enloe to extend the life of both helicopters. The current backup aircraft, a 23-year-old AStar helicopter, will be retired.

“For 39 years we’ve been able to serve our communities, and we hope to continue to do so for a long time to come. This new helicopter will certainly help with that mission,” says director of emergency medical services and chief flight nurse Jenny Humphries. “We are incredibly excited for this new chapter of FlightCare’s history.”

The cost of the new H130 was approximately $5.4 million, and the Enloe Health Foundation covered most of it through philanthropic gifts from the community. Fundraising efforts are ongoing.

“Our community has consistently supported this programme, helping fund aircraft upgrades for more than two decades,” says vice president of philanthropy and communications Jolene Francis. “We are profoundly grateful for its continued support.”

The new H130 will begin operations early this summer. FlightCare began in 1985 and since then has served more than 25,000 patients across Butte, Tehama, Glenn, Plumas, Colusa, Sierra, Yuba and Lassen counties.