CALSTAR orders eight Eurocopter EC135s for air rescue missions

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, 25 Aug. 2012. California Shock Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR), with headquarters at McClellan, CA, has signed an agreement to purchase up to eight EC135 helicopters from American Eurocopter. CALSTAR operates nine full-time bases in northern and central California and is the largest nonprofit air ambulance provider on the west coast. With this order, it will replace its older, non-Eurocopter aircraft and will become an all-Eurocopter operator. CALSTAR is a not-for-profit community service company that has been in operation since 1984. Since its inception, CALSTAR has completed more than 48,000 transports with no injuries to patients or crew members and to date CALSTAR has flown more than 70,000 accident-free flight hours.

The Eurocopter EC135 is a twin-engine civil helicopter produced by Eurocopter. The first prototypes of the EC135 were flown in 1994, with the finished version of the helicopter making its U.S. debut in 1995 and being approved by the FAA the following year.

The EC135 is popular for police, military and medical work, with many variants reflecting its different operational uses. The EC135 has a range of 395 miles and a cruise speed of 158 miles while having enough room for two crew and to patients.

There are more than 240 EC135 helicopters in service under multiple operators in the U.S.