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Toronto, Ont.-based Fox Flight Air Ambulance, a Canadian company specializing in international medical repatriation, recently welcomed two Bombardier Lear 40-XR jets to its fleet of specially configured air ambulances. These aircraft feature state-of-the-art avionics and have been custom-fitted for dedicated aeromedical operations.
Company president David Fox says the introduction of the Lear 40-XRs to the fleet takes Fox Flight’s already high standard of patient care to the next level.
“The Lear 40-XR is larger than aircraft we have used in the past, which allows us to deliver improved comfort and service for patients and their companions,” Fox explained. “The longer fuselage provides room for a washroom and extra baggage, which many air ambulances don’t have, and the taller and wider cabin makes it easier for the medical crew to load and unload the patient and provide in-flight care.
“We took our time preparing these planes for service because we really wanted to optimize the experience for patients, companions and crew,” Fox added. “First, we designed and fabricated custom cabinetry to store medical equipment, which opens up space for people to move through the cabin and for medical staff to get what they need in-flight. Then our maintenance technicians completed a fuel modification that extends the range of both planes; that means our flight crews have to make fewer technical stops and can get the patient home faster.”
In addition to improved cabin amenities, flight crews on the Lear 40-XR will also benefit from up-to-date cockpit display and aviation technology.
“Our pilots are going to love the 40-XR for a lot of reasons; it definitely provides a more comfortable working environment,” said Katrina Rankine, Fox Flight’s director of operations and chief pilot. “There is a little more room in the cockpit and the instrumentation is completely digital, which is not the case with older aircraft.
“These planes also have a different wing design that includes a winglet on the wing tip as well as delta wings at the rear, which makes for a softer, quieter ride.”
As with all Fox Flight aircraft, the task of keeping the new Lear 40-XRs in the air will fall to the company’s in-house maintenance department. Maintenance director Nick Fraser says that task is made much easier because of the plane’s advanced technical features.
“Aircraft maintenance has come a long way in the last 20 years,” Fraser said. “With these planes you can hook them up to a laptop and instantly view most of the airframe systems. Then you can use dedicated software to test those systems and troubleshoot problems. On older planes you often have to take things apart in order to get access to conduct routine maintenance and test some systems. These planes eliminate that step.”
In addition to having more modern maintenance systems, Fraser points out that the Lear 40-XRs also benefit from abundant available replacement parts:
“Newer planes are just more reliable, and they are easier to fix if you do have a problem, so our maintenance staff can keep the planes in the air and available for missions.”
