An-2 Colt Air ambulance in the KRG

[airaid]

Hi guys,

I am on here because I thought it would be a great way to get some real expertise and advice on the feasibility of my project.

I started out with the simple idea of utilising the versatility, availability, and low unit cost of Antonov An-2s to found a charity to provide an air ambulance service to countries unable to operate their own.

As a result of the resent heavy fighting in Iraq particularly in the KRG I started to consider the use of the An-2 in the region, as a potential solution to the problem of poor quality and congested road networks, and the general ad-hoc nature of the Peshmerga causality management system.

I have attached a PDF of my proposal and would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice on the project.

If anyone is genuinely interested in the project, you can contact me at [email protected]

[air pig]

Your first problem is operating an aircraft within contested airspace, plus a significant ground to air threat. What provsion for IFF etc.

Medically you require 24/7/365 operations room with real time communications with the medical team on the ground plus a facility to evacuate too. The facility has to be of a level one trauma standard, look at what the hospital at Camp Bastion achieved and then a down stream recovery programme. it is no good getting someone to a hospital if it has neither the skills abilities or equipment to treat the patient. Until you have that in place using an aircraft to evacuate a patients is of little use.

Staffing this project is also a major problem, medical staff of those skill sets are in relatively short supply, being ATLS, ALS, PALs and BATLS and flight experienced, at least at the start.

An AN2 being unpressurised is fine but what altitudes do you evisage operating at?

You have good ideas, but the ground receiving infrastructure has to be in place first.

Regarding the AN2, do you plan to have an inverter type power supply as a defibrillator will quickly use up any battery power and any monitor the more monitoring parameters in use the more power drain. A critical care patient will need a minimum of 4 monitoring channels in use at any one time, ECG B/P SaO2 and EtCo2 if ventilated. O2 supplies are also a problem and in particular if it is heavy in weight. Loading and unloading a critical patient is difficult at the best of time using an aerosled type system but into a side door of an AN2 difficult due to the height off the ground and then moneouvering within the cabin and then securing the patient.