On Thursday, February 9th, 2023, at the Three Wing Aviation hangar at Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Yale New Haven Hospital and Northwell Health held an unveiling ceremony for the new emergency patient transportation Skyhealth helicopter there. This helicopter is the first for Yale based on the Connecticut side of Long Island Sound. A second one is on the New York side of the Sound.
The hangar was filled with Health and Aviation professionals from the area, including critical care flight nurses and critical care flight paramedics. The SkyHealth helicopter transport team is vital in providing life-saving treatment for patients in critical medical situations enroute to a destination hospital, including the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital.
Designed specifically for helicopter EMS use, SkyHealth has the latest technology and safety features. It meets and exceeds all safety recommendations set forth by the National Transportation Safety Bureau and includes advanced satellite tracking to monitor aircraft position, air traffic, and weather so that every flight is a safe one. The crew is equipped with night-vision goggles for secure flying in the dark.
“This service is going to save many lives and Three Wing is honored to be working with Skyhealth on making this important health service available to more residents of NY, CT, & RI,” said Robert Christoph Jr., Owner of Three Wing Aviation and President of Operations at Steelpointe Harbor. “This will create jobs and opportunity for the surrounding communities as well and we are excited to be a part of it.”
On average, it takes five to seven minutes from the time a call is accepted until lift-off. Though flight times vary depending on distance and weather, the helicopter can often cover 25 miles in about 10 minutes. While SkyHealth can fly patients over 200 miles within the New Haven, CT area, there are times when a fixed wing aircraft capable of transporting patients at a much greater distances is more appropriate.
Click here to read the CTPost article.
Click here to read the Doing It Local article.
