Memorial Hermann

Memorial Hermann Hospital

Memorial Hermann Healthcare System is the largest not-for-profit hospital system in Houston, Texas, and consists of 11 hospitals, 7 Cancer Centers, 3 Heart & Vascular Institutes, and 27 sports medicine and rehabilitation centers, in addition to other outpatient and rehabilitation centers. It was...

 Life Flight is an air medical transport service

MEDEVAC

Medical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...

 based in Houston, Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Life Flight flies into 12th floor of the John S. Dunn Heli-Stop atop Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. It was founded in 1976.

History

Service began on August 1, 1976 as the second helicopter air medical program in the United States of America. The founder, Dr. James H. "Red" Duke, Jr., is the medical director for Life Flight and has been since its inception. To date, Life Flight has flown more than 120,000 patient missions. Life Flight is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems

Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems

The Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems , is an independent, non-profit agency which audits and accredits fixed-wing and rotary wing air medical transport services as well as ground inter-facility critical care services in the U.S. to a set of industry-established criteria....

.

The first helicopter utilized on a Life Flight mission was the French-built SA 319B, also known as the Alouette III

Aérospatiale Alouette III

The Aérospatiale Alouette III is a single-engine, light utility helicopter developed by Sud Aviation. It was manufactured by Aérospatiale of France, and under licence by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited in India as Hal Chetak and Industria Aeronautică Română in Romania.The Alouette III is the...

. The Alouette served the program well, but was eventually replaced by a newer aircraft, the AS 355 Ecureuil 2

Eurocopter AS355

The Eurocopter AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine light helicopter originally manufactured by Aérospatiale...

, also known as “TwinStar.” The AS 355 boasted many improvements in power, speed, cabin space and stability and was equipped with two turbine engines that greatly improved the safety of operations.

The TwinStar served with Life Flight until the acquisition of the BK 117 helicopter. The BK 117 was built as a joint venture between Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm

Messerschmitt

Messerschmitt AG was a famous German aircraft manufacturing corporation named for its chief designer, Willy Messerschmitt, and known primarily for its World War II fighter aircraft, notably the Bf 109 and Me 262...

 (MBB) and Kawasaki Heavy Industries

Kawasaki Heavy Industries

is an international corporation based in Japan. It has headquarters in both Chūō-ku, Kobe and Minato, Tokyo.The company is named after its founder Shōzō Kawasaki and has no connection with the city of Kawasaki, Kanagawa....

. The aircraft is particularly special because of its layout, which allows for complete use of the cabin area. It has no structural beams, or pillars, blocking the cabin space, and it also has large rear “clamshell” doors to use for loading and unloading patient stretchers.

With the addition of the BK117, Life Flight has been able to conduct many specialized transports, including neonatal transport, intra-aortic balloon pump patients, and double patient loads from the same scene.

In addition, Life Flight operated a Bo 105 helicopter, also built by MBB. It featured dual engines, double patient load capacity and a high skid configuration to improve safety around the tail rotor.

In 2007, Life Flight purchased 6 new EC 145 helicopters that replaced the 4 that were in use. One will be stationed near the Port of Houston

Port of Houston

The Port of Houston is a port in Houston—the fourth-largest city in the United States. The Port is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico...

 to better serve that region and one will be dedicated to pediatric transport.

Current Life Flight's bases

North Base: David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport

David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport

David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport is a public-use airport located near the city of Tomball in unincorporated Harris County, Texas. It is northwest of the central business district of Houston...

East Base: Baytown Airport

Baytown Airport

Baytown Airport is a public-use airport located north of the central business district of Baytown, a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. It is privately-owned by Raceco Inc.- Facilities and aircraft :...

South Base: Pearland Regional Airport

Pearland Regional Airport

Pearland Regional Airport is a public-use general aviation airport located in unincorporated Brazoria County, Texas, United States south of the city limits of Pearland and 17 miles south of the central business district of Houston. It is privately owned by the Clover Acquisition Corporation and...

West Base South: Memorial Hermann Sugarland Hospital 1st through the 15th of the month

West Base North: Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital 16th through 30th of the month

Central Base: Memorial Hermann Hospital at the Texas Medical Center