Intermountain Health, Utah's largest healthcare system, is installing the first AW109 GrandNew Enhanced Training Device Virtual Extended Reality (ETD VxR) while adding an AW109 GrandNew rotorcraft. The deal was announced at this year's Air Medical Transport Conference (AMTC) in Salt Lake City, alongside Leonardo.

The lease of the AW109 GrandNew VxR simulator signifies a crucial step toward transforming Intermountain Health's EMS helicopter flight training and safety protocols. This development is the first VxR to be signed by a Leonardo longstanding customer. This synthetic training device provides dynamic, immersive training scenarios that replicate real life emergencies, empowering EMS professionals to sharpen their skills in a safe, controlled environment. This enhancement in training will boost their readiness, response times and safety in critical situations, instilling confidence in their quality of care.

“We are a big believer in the value of simulator use in training. Intermountain Health is heavily invested in our low-level IFR structure for helicopters,” says Jared Thompson, senior director of aviation operations for Intermountain. “This simulator will allow our pilots constant exposure to the demanding IFR environment, while reducing blade time and associated costs of using an actual aircraft. We are extremely excited about pioneering the amazing technology of the VxR simulator.”

The ETD VxR benefits from Leonardo's capabilities in designing and developing simulators and mission support solutions to best meet the needs of operators. The ETD VxR technology has been designed and built with native helicopter data for the highest level of fidelity, leveraging superior design and certification capabilities and genuine flight tests to allow the future virtual and extended reality simulators and comply with FTD Level 7 FAA requirements. The ETD VxR features a compact footprint to support single-engine (VFR and IFR) and light-twin-engine helicopters, ensuring accurate pilot's perception of the surroundings for single-pilot flight operations, improving training effectiveness and safety, and allowing the crew to train on the same mission through interconnected simulators at a cost-effective price point.

In addition to this significant training advancement, Intermountain also announced its acquisition of the AW109 GrandNew helicopter. This versatile aircraft is renowned for its performance standards and ability to meet the demands of air medical transport. The inclusion of the AW109 GrandNew into Intermountain's fleet marks a pivotal step in the continuous improvement of patient care by ensuring timely and efficient transport for critical cases across the region. Intermountain Health currently operates six AW109 GrandNew and is Utah's only IFR EMS operator with low-level IFR infrastructure and proprietary heliport approach procedures.

Leonardo's commitment to innovation in medical transport technologies aligns with Intermountain Health's mission to deliver outstanding patient care. “We are excited to support Intermountain Health in its initiative to enhance EMS through advanced virtual reality technology and efficient transportation that the state-of-the-art AW109 GrandNew will provide,” says Clyde Woltman, CEO of Leonardo Helicopters US. “This collaboration emphasises our dedication to enhancing emergency response capabilities and flight safety across the healthcare sector.”

As the industry continues to embrace technologically advanced solutions, introducing the AW109 GrandNew VxR simulator and the addition of the AW109 GrandNew will enhance efficacy and significantly improve transportation outcomes across diverse communities for Intermountain.