FORT WORTH, TEXAS (April 29, 2014) – Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT), announced today CareFlite®, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 corporation providing fully integrated medical transport across North Texas, is now fielding four Bell 407GX helicopters, with two aircraft currently in the field and others preparing to enter service later this year. These aircraft will transport ill or injured patients to critical care facilities and one will be based out of Granbury Municipal Airport while the other will originate from Harris Methodist Fort Worth.
“The Bell 407GX is an ideal aircraft for transporting critical care patients,” said James Swartz, President and CEO of CareFlite. “ We chose it because of its proven reliability and performance combined with an advanced avionics suite and factory installed autopilot.”
Established in 1979, CareFlite is the oldest joint-use air medical transportation service in the nation, and the second oldest in Texas. CareFlite operates six helicopter bases – Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, Methodist Dallas Medical Center, Denton Regional Hospital, the Frisco Fire Department, the Granbury Municipal Airport and Lake Whitney Medical Center – to serve more than 100 counties within a 150-mile radius of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Over the last 35 years, CareFlite has airlifted more than 75,000 patients and flown more than 82,000 flight hours. In addition to these air-based services, CareFlite also operates 65 ambulances in the region to support ground programs for non-emergency and 911 situations.
“We’re honored to be a valued partner with CareFlite and look forward to continuing to provide them with the excellent service and safe, reliable, high-performance aircraft they have come to expect from Bell Helicopter,” said Anthony Moreland, Bell Helicopter’s managing director of North American sales.
Flexible and easily configured for critical care operations, the Bell 407GX delivers power and speed with a smooth, quiet ride and a spacious cabin that accommodates six passengers. In a medical air ambulance configuration, it can carry two critical care medical personnel to provide care for one patient. These first responders are able to transport critical care patients quickly and safely in the large 85 ft³ cabin, featuring a bi-fold door opening to 61-inches that allows for quick and easy patient loading and unloading.
Built on the proven performance and reliability of the Bell 407 platform, the 407GX features the Garmin G1000H™ flight deck, providing critical flight information at a glance for greater situational awareness and increased safety. The flight deck's high resolution LCD screens host primary flight and multi-function display information, including Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System, Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology™, Traffic Information Systems and more. The 407GX also features a tail rotor camera, allowing the pilot a clear view of the tail during take-offs. It supports a variety of missions, including helicopter air ambulance, for customers throughout the world.
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About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. For more information, visit www.textron.com.
Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to changes in aircraft delivery schedules or cancellations or deferrals of orders; changes in government regulations or policies on the export and import of our products; and volatility in the global economy or changes in worldwide political conditions that adversely impact demand for our products.