Anfi, spot on comment. I absolutely agree.
It's a capable machine though the HEMS Operation in London is not helped by
- Not being able to keep the machine on the hospital roof at night
- The operation is some 100+ miles from the Part 145 AMO
As I see it though, it is the lack of OEM support that is primarily the fault here. The problem in my eyes is that MDHI have a difficult conundrum to resolve. They have sold what, 200 aircraft, but they HAVE to support them. This is where it gets difficult. Ms Tilton probably thought that $50M injection was adequate for
manufacturing helicopters; probably it was, The trouble is that one has to invest for
supporting them and then it is the numbers game for the tooling-up for parts, which ones, minimum production runs and all the other problematic issues that occur. (Those EFIS glass-screens are eye-wateringly expensive, for all concerned, on an exchange basis). Rock and a hard place, which is a pity since I think the machine is more than capable of doing exactly what it says on the tin, but support is lacking.
I have no idea what Bell's inventory investment might be, but significant that's for sure. Yes of course they have many more aircraft to support, but they do, which is why they consistently come top of the support polls. Amortization of the investment can be justified, however, where with MDHI it would be much less easy to do so. $50M doesn't go very far........
I've met Gareth Davies, and I understand he is a leader-of-consequence in life-saving trauma, but the vehicle he needs for his work doesn't work when he needs it to. So I too, wonder at what alternative London HEMS may choose; I'm not sure a mixed fleet would be the best idea, but what would I know as just a lowly LAE?
And yes, you nailed it in one - VFR