Flight for Life
written by David Barth, April 21, 2010
The first helicopter ambulance service in the United States was inaugurated in 1972 at the St. Anthony Hospital in
Denver, Colorado. These photographs were taken on April 21, 2010 at the helicopter pad on the fifth floor of St.
Anthony Hospital at 1600 Raleigh Street, Denver, Colorado.
During the early days, the helicopter was called out for accidents and medical emergencies all over the Denver area.
In recent years, ground ambulances are strategically placed throughout the city to insure rapid response. At the time
these photos were taken, about half of the flights were to move patients from one facility to another for specialized
care or to meet the specific needs of the patient.
The range of this helicopter, manufactured by Eurocopters, is about 200 miles, and it flies at around 180 knots.
It is leased from Air Methods, based at the Centennial Airport in southeast Denver. Air Methods is the largest
helicopter leasing company in the nation.
The helicopter capacity is one pilot, an emergency medical technician (EMT), a nurse, and a patient. This tour was
run by Cynthia, an EMT who usually files a Flight for Life helicopter out of Summit County, Colorado, and Noah, a nurse
based at this St. Anthony Hospital location.
The helicopter can accommodate a fourth person, if not too large, for training and familiarization purposes. The
maximum weight for a patient is 350 pounds. The interior temperature of the helicopter is maintained above 40
degrees Fahrenheit to insure that medications will flow through tubing efficiently.
This operation can also serve avalanche victims. It can carry one search dog and its handler. In the event the
altitude and weight of the helicopter are too great for a safe liftoff from a scene, one of the crew are left behind
to get back to the hospital by ground transportation, often a police car.
