The main reasons that we chose the 902 for our joint Police / HEMS operation were:
1. Excellent Grp A performance & payload
2. Enormous cabin to cope with all the kit needed for the dual role
3. High main rotor and no tail rotor giving excellent safety for ad hoc landing sites
4. Its very quiet !
As a footnote to the above, we've done night HEMS for years and I wouldn't even contemplate it in a HEMS aircraft with no FLIR.
It IS night HEMS, we operate under a PAOC with a HEMS approval from the CAA. The rules we work to are in the HEMS appendix to the PAOM and are a straight lift from JAROPS. The key bit of kit for night single pilot HEMS ops as far as the CAA are concerned is an autopilot which is why we can do it in the 902 but not in the 105.
Last edited by Bearintheair; 23rd May 2002 at 19:30.