First impressions of Mayo Clinic’s new air ambulance?

That this is one powerful machine, equipped with two quick-starting, 1000-horsepower engines.

“It’s the computer system that controls the actual engines of the helicopter,” explains pilot Michael Bernarding. “All I have to do is flip a switch and then the engine starts on its own, and I can have both engines up and running 100% in one minute.”

For the first time, a 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew got a close-up look at the $11 million, five-bladed airbus.

This model, the H145-D3, is one of the first of its kind in the U.S. equipped with medical gear.

“It’s always up and easy to access,” notes Rhiannon Osborne, a Mayo Clinic Flight nurse with seven years of experience. “Our ventilators are easy to move around. Our pulls, our IV pumps are all mounted very nicely. We have a great visual of all the equipment within our aircraft.”  

The helicopter can reach speeds of up to 150 miles per hour.

“Everything from the minute the hospital gives us that patient, to the moment they arrive at the destination hospital — all of that time is very important to us,” Osborne says.

She notes that all that speed, plus rapid takeoffs and landings, can save lives.

“So, the longer it takes for us to get up off the ground and get in the air and get that patient moving to the next place is very important,” Osborne says.

This next-gen chopper can fly up to ten miles per hour faster than its predecessor.

“I can calculate the weight, I can put in how much fuel is on board,” Bernarding says, pointing to the helicopter’s digital dashboard.

He says the aircraft has a computerized autopilot — and the human pilot only needs to take over during takeoff and landing.  

“It controls everything, the airspeed, the altitude, the heading,” Bernarding explains. “Less work for us to be able to monitor and be available to work emergencies if they arise.”

Talk about hands-free.

The autopilot includes an auto-stabilize feature, allowing the pilot to hover or set up a safe level of flight with a single button in case of bad weather or low visibility.

Those five blades, Mayo says, mean less vibration while flight nurses or paramedics are treating patients.

“You almost forget you’re on a helicopter because it flies so smooth, you’re able to focus on your patient, your task at hand,” Osborne says. “Not really worried about all the movement up and down. It’s really nice.”

But Mayo says the biggest difference here, is the ability to carry a heavier payload — nearly 8,400 pounds.

The aircraft can carry a full crew, the patient and 238 gallons of fuel — which means it can fly for two-and-a-half hours without refueling.  

“We’re able to have a full bag of gas, a full crew, and up to a 400-pound patient with no issues,” Bernarding says.

“We can take off with a full tank of fuel, and still have plenty of capacity for the patient,” adds Kristofer Keltgen, the Manager of Operations for Mayo Clinic. “So that extra lifting capacity of the aircraft helps improve safety, it helps improve efficiency.”

The tail numbers, N483WC, were chosen to reflect the clinic’s history.

The ‘N’ stands for North America.

‘483’ is in honor of the four people who founded Mayo in 1883.

The ‘WC’ stands for Will and Charlie — Drs. William J. Mayo and Charles H. Mayo — the sons of Dr. William Worrall Mayo, who opened a private medical practice that evolved into the Mayo Clinic.

The Mankato-based helicopter, first put into service in late May, is only the beginning.

Mayo plans to buy two others to be located at Rochester and Eau Claire.

All three aircraft will have a 150-mile flight radius, able to transport patients north to Duluth, south to Iowa and west to South Dakota, much faster than an ambulance on the ground.

The new air ambulance is part of a plan by Mayo to replace its aging fleet — those helicopters that have had 15 or more years of service.

It’s already gone out on more than 40 flights since it was first launched.

“The quicker someone can get definitive care and fix their traumatic injuries, oftentimes saves lives and certainly improves outcomes for patients,” Keltgen says.  

According to the Minnesota Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board, there were more than 6,100 EMS flights transporting patients in 2022.

Nearly one out of four were emergency flights — the rest were hospital transfers.

Mayo says it operates about 2,200 flights a year — with about 600 flights using the Mankato-based helicopter.

A spokesperson says about 15% of those runs are for emergencies.

The Rochester and Eau Claire helicopters are expected to be in service by December, Mayo says.

Speed, efficiency, and power — all factors when seconds count.

“The faster and safer we can get that patient loaded, the sooner we can get off the ground, the sooner we can start providing care,” Osborne says.