Surival Flight Overivew

Short Distance Patient Transport

Survival Flight leases three twin-engine Eurocopter EC-155B1 Helicopters for patient transport within an air mile radius of approximately 350 nautical miles around Ann Arbor. Two helicopters are available 24 hours a day for patient transport and the third is used for organ procurement. Metro Aviation provides aviation services.

  • One Survival Flight EC-155 operates out of the Michigan Medicine Main Medical Campus in Ann Arbor.
  • One Survival Flight EC-155 operates out of the Livingston County Airport.
  • Survival Flight EC-155 helicopters fly at an average speed of 175 miles per hour and serve an air mile radius of approximately 350 nautical miles around Ann Arbor. For destinations beyond this range, fixed-wing transport is used.
  • Survival Flight helicopters are capable of carrying a patient, medical crew, and a full complement of advanced life support equipment. The helicopter is equipped with avionics and advanced communication radios enabling Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying in inclement weather.
  • Survival Flight helicopters accommodate isolettes with ventilatory and invasive pressure monitoring capabilities for neonates and infants. The isolette is nitric-ready for those patients requiring nitric ventilation for transport.

Long Distance Patient Transport

 Michigan maize and blue fixed wing transport

 

Survival Flight uses a specialized fixed-wing Lear jet with a medically configured cabin pressurized for transporting patients over longer distances. These aircraft can travel throughout the continental US and Canada. Metro Aviation is solely responsible for control of all flight operations.

  • Survival Flight uses the same crew and sophisticated equipment in the Lear jet as used in the helicopter service. Specialty teams for neonatal, pediatric cardiology and Extracorporeal Life Support (ELS) are available to Survival Flight’s EC-155’s and Lear jet.
  • Survival Flight requires communication specialists to obtain financial information for authorization of fixed-wing transports to U of M Health. For transports not returning to U of M Health a guarantee of payment for the cost of the transport is required.
  • Critically ill or injured patients can be delivered to a hospital selected by the attending physician, patient or family.

Ground Transportation

  • In conjunction with Huron Valley Ambulance, Survival Flight has a dedicated ambulance for ground transport of patients who cannot be transported by air. The ambulance can accommodate all equipment found in our helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.

Patient Services

  • We have a dedicated Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump and Abiomed, providing left and bi-ventricular assistance needs for severely compromised cardiac patients. Our staff has experience transporting patients with a Heartmate and various other ventricular assist devices.
  • When specialized equipment for stabilizing pediatric or spinal cord injury patients is required, it can be added to the helicopter's in-flight intensive care environment.
  • For over 15 years, we have had the capability to transport patients requiring Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS).