AMSL Aero and CareFlight partner to test the aeromedical fit-out of Vertiia
AMSL Aero and critical care aeromedical retrieval service CareFlight have partnered to refine and test the aeromedical fit-out of Vertiia, claimed to be the world’s longest range and most efficient zero emissions eVTOL aircraft.
Vertiia will allow CareFlight to offer a direct service from remote sites directly to hospitals, flying from CareFlight bases and landing directly next to remote medical clinics without needing to transfer patients between aeroplanes and road ambulances to reduce clinical risk.
AMSL Aero recently completed the maiden test flight of Vertiia, which will be able to fly up to 1,000km with zero carbon emissions, and carry four passengers and a pilot at a cruising speed of 300 km/h.
AMSL Aero has displayed its prototype aeromedical cabin fit-out for Vertiia at the Avalon International Airshow in Victoria from 28 February to 5 March 2023.
AMSL Aero CEO and Vertiia inventor Andrew Moore said: “It is absolutely critical to provide the best level of care to a patient while in flight. The fitted-out Vertiia will serve as a flying hospital with all of the best emergency equipment at the clinician’s fingertips.
“Aircraft are typically designed first, then an aeromedical fit-out is shoehorned inside. We are doing the opposite: we’re starting with the optimum aeromedical fit-out and designing the aircraft around it, with the needs of our key partners such as CareFlight front of mind.”
AMSL Co-Founder Siobhan Lyndon added: “CareFlight is a leading Australian innovator in rotary wing retrievals, having developed the rapid response helicopter service in Australia, so we are hugely grateful to them for their expertise.
“Vertiia is not only safe and quiet, but it was also developed for the harsh long-distance conditions in Australia. If it can work in Australia, it can work anywhere, and expect to start deliveries in 2026.”
CareFlight CEO Mick Frewen, concluded: “Our mission is to save lives and speed up recovery. We transport patients on jets, turboprops, helicopters and road vehicles, so when AMSL approached us about the Vertiia eVTOL, we leapt at the opportunity.
“We love the huge doors on the Vertiia. The doorway is two metres wide, which is wider than on any aircraft we operate. CareFlight sees the potential for the Vertiia across a number of our existing operations. We look forward to reducing patient transport times and improving patient outcomes, and see it as a significant part of solving our future aeromedical fleet.”
