History

Mercy Flight has been a unique operation since its inception in 1981. As the pioneer air-medical service in New York State, Mercy Flight was one of the first operations of its kind in the country.

From day one, Mercy Flight has been independent of any hospital, delivering patients to the facility that will best suit their medical needs by working closely with the regional network of hospitals, ground EMS, law enforcement, and fire authorities.

Since 1981, Mercy Flight has grown in many ways. However, the goal always remains the same: To save lives.

Our People: Past & Present

In those early days, Mercy Flight was only in service 12 hours per day. Three LaSalle ambulance paramedics and two pilots staffed it - a far cry from today, when we have more than 80 employees, servicing the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To continue improving the level of care provided, all of our flight paramedics complete the 80-hour Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport Specialist (CCEMT-P) course developed by the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC). The course is designed to teach registered nurses and experienced paramedics how to provide ICU-level medical care to patients requiring these services while in flight.

Our Locations: Past & Present

Mercy Flight's main base of operation is now at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. In an effort to even better serve the community, a WNY Southern Tier base was established in 1998 thus reducing response times.

The Olean, NY, base began operating in September 1998 in the new Louis Magnano/Olean General Hospital/Mercy Flight Heliport on the campus of Olean General Hospital. This base currently is in service 24 hours per day. As a result, Mercy Flight now flies more missions in Cattaraugus County than any other WNY county except for Erie County.

The Batavia, NY base opened 2006. This base is at the Genesee County Airport.

Our Aircrafts & Helicopters: Past & Present

When Mercy Flight first began operating, it had to contract with a private company for a helicopter - one Bell 206B Jet Ranger - and pilots. After several different leased models, it was decided that Mercy Flight needed to upgrade to a twin-engine aircraft to improve the overall safety of the program and to eliminate the weight limitations that were placed on a single-engine helicopter.

In 1991, Mercy Flight's first Eurocopter BO-105 (N505 TJ) was placed in service, providing more power, speed, range, and reliability. The Bell Jet Ranger was kept in service as a backup, but was retired when a second BO-105 was acquired in 1993.

Operating two full-time bases of operation necessitated the acquisition of a third BO-105 helicopter. This milestone allows Mercy Flight to operate with virtually no down time. The third aircraft can also be activated in the event of a third response while the other two helicopters are on a mission simultaneously. We currently have 3 bases of operations in service. Batavia, NY - Olean, NY and Buffalo, NY. We just added a BK-117 to our fleet, please watch for more details. In addition, transports to more distant areas can be achieved by the use of airplanes.

Our Commitment to Our Patients in the Future

These accomplishments are just a few examples of Mercy Flight's ongoing commitment to offer the best possible care to every patient.