EADS Socata evaluates AeroSled PLUS system for MedEvac operations
Pembroke Pines, Florida, 28 July 2004
EADS Socata announces that it is working with Lifeport, Inc. of Woodland, Washington to design and install an AeroSled PLUS system for use in the TBM 700.Last week, Lifeport, Inc. installed one of their PLUS systems in a TBM 700 based at the Portland/Troutdale airport. This system will be tested in the aircraft for the next year to evaluate the performance and utility of the product. Stéphane Bernard, President of Socata Aircraft, Inc. stated, “We continue to develop new markets for the TBM and we believe that Lifeport will be a key player in the success of our aircraft in an air ambulance role. I am confident that the Lifeport system will maximize the cabin space in the TBM, allowing medical crews to perform their duties.”
The Patient Loading Utility System (PLUS) is a self-contained module with full life support capabilities that can be installed in an aircraft in the same time it takes to refuel. The PLUS system mounts directly to existing hard points and tracks and weighs less than 160 pounds. The AeroSled is an aviation-designed stretcher, which is structurally rated and designed to fit into aircraft with space restrictions. A unique loading ramp allows the stretcher to be loaded through the door level and requires no lifting inside the aircraft.
Lifeport, Inc. began operations approximately 14 years ago and uses 3-D computer technology and experience to create new products and customize systems. The corporation consists of three divisions, with a total of 106 employees, all manufacturing aviation equipment. The Woodland division has over 700 medical systems in the field worldwide.
EADS Socata is the leading general aviation manufacturer in Europe and an industrial partner of major aerospace programs. Wholly owned by EADS, the second largest aerospace and defence company in the world, EADS Socata generated $200 million USD in sales in 2003 and employs 1,080 people in France and the United States. Socata Aircraft, Inc., a subsidiary of EADS North America, represents EADS Socata in the Americas.
