New medical helicopter has arrived at Gundersen Health System's Decorah Airport hangar

Gundersen AIR flight nurse Shauna Schilling and flight paramedic Ben Pfile pose with the new medical helicopter which is based in Decorah.

Gundersen Health System's new emergency medical helicopter, featuring the latest technology to increase patient and crew safety, has now arrived at the Decorah Municipal Airport.

Gundersen AIR has stationed a helicopter in a rented space at the Decorah Municipal Airport since June 2016. Gundersen AIR leaders partnered with the City of Decorah and Decorah Municipal Airport Commission to construct the new permanent hangar that opened the end of February (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2019/02/21581.html)
 
The hangar now will house the new EC145 e-lite helicopter, the world's first of its kind with avionics which add additional weather capabilities to operate when visibility is reduced.  Said Gundersen AIR Chief Flight Nurse Terri Wenthold, "The 3-axis SPIFR is an extremely stable auto pilot platform that delivers added safety to our patients and crew by adding a high degree of precision to a FAA filed flight path, helping our pilots navigate safely in low visibility conditions."  The helicopter also is equipped with a system that transmits real-time flight data via satellite to the Metro Aviation Operational Control Center, where flight systems and performance are continuously monitored for patient and crew safety.

Gundersen AIR's service area encompasses a 150-mile radius of La Crosse, including communities throughout western Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. The second helicopter in the fleet will permanently base at the Sparta-Fort McCoy Airport beginning on April 8th.  A crew of 25 critical care nurses and specially-trained flight paramedics and eight pilots complete about 700 flights annually.

The public will be invited to an open house at the new Decorah airport hangar this summer. Details will follow.