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Guardian Air

Guardian Air is providing an air ambulance emergency service utilising its modern Dassault Falcon 20 and Citation V aircraft allowing not only two patients to be flown in comfort and high care, but also to have a friend or family member accompany them. Guardian Air’s service is available on a 24-hour all year-round basis. The air ambulance market is rapidly gaining favour in the modern age of technology and transport. Individuals who require urgent medical care, but are stranded far away from adequate medical facilities are assisted by flying medical crews, who often prove to be the difference between life and death in such emergencies.

The spacious and luxurious corporate jets have been internally modified as a corporate ambulance and utilises the best in equipment and technology available. Based in Johannesburg, Guardian Air is accessible to everyone in the air emergency services market. The company provides the aircraft and two qualified pilots, whilst companies making use of this service provide their own medical crew and medical components. Services are also open to a wider market, including medical aids, corporate companies, government organisations, embassies, VIPs and the fee-for-service market. If any company wants to make use of the aircraft, it can do so directly through contacting Guardian Air’s friendly and extensively qualified staff. Guardian Air also performs the function of transporting donor organs, as well as the transportation of medication and relief equipment to disaster areas.

The air ambulance

The Dassault Falcon 20F-5BR corporate jet has been classified as one of the most successful corporate jets in the world. The Falcon jet is built for comfort, speed and durability. It has a range of 4 080 kilometres or 2 200 nautical miles, a maximum speed of 850 km/h, flying as high as 42 000 feet. This particular business jet was manufactured in the early 1980s and has been completely refurbished to perform the requirements of a modern air ambulance. The interior of the aircraft is spacious and provides the opportunity for family members or friends to accompany the patient. The aircraft can comfortably seat six people who are not in need of urgent medical care.

The Cessna Citation V (Model 560) is a turbofan-powered small-to-medium sized business jet built by the Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas. This ultra-utility jet can operate into most prepared airports acrossthe country while still being able to cover a range of 2 200 kilometers or 1 200 nautical miles at a maximum speed of 750km/h and operating altitudes up to 45 000ft. The aircraft is equipped with one aero medical stretcher allowing a fully ventilated patient to be transported in VIP comfort with the opportunity for family members or friends to accompany the patient.

Crew and equipment

On board are two certified pilots and equipment from aerospace services company Lifeport, which is a world leader in aero-medical equipment. The equipment is designed to handle rigorous conditions, having been tried and tested for ten years on the African continent. All interior fittings have been removed from the aircraft so that it could be modified as an air ambulance. Aviation-approved coin-dot matting has been installed to ensure that the aircraft is kept clean and sterile in the event of contamination from body fluid such as blood. A Patient Loading and Utility System (PLUS) from Lifeport is used for ease of loading stretcher patients. The PLUS is a modular advanced life support platform that attaches directly to the aircraft seat track with hand-tightened fittings. The PLUS is composed of three separate, but complimentary elements: the PLUS base unit, the loading system and the AeroSled stretcher. This

loading ramp system assists moving patients from a road ambulance into the aircraft swiftly, reducing the risk of endangering them. Although the PLUS loading system varies slightly from aircraft to aircraft, it attaches directly to the PLUS base unit and extends out of the aircrafts door. The unit folds up for storage in the rear hold of the aircraft during flight. The equipment on board has been modified to suit specific medical and electrical requirements. Four 3500 litre carbon fibre oxygen bottles from Lifeport are installed on board the aircraft, providing 36 hours of emergency oxygen. This allows patients to be kept oxygenated for long periods, during long haul flights. 

Regions Served

With a 2200 nautical miles range, the Dassault Falcon 20F-5BR can service a wide international market, including the majority of the African continent. Each case is unique and it depends on the needs of each patient as to where he or she will be transported. If patients require a higher level of care, they will be flown back to South Africa, or in certain instances, can be repatriated to Europe or the Middle East and even the USA if need be, depending on the requirements of the medical insurer and the level of medical care required.

Staffng

Presently Gaurdian Air’s employees include pilots, operational staff and personnel in shared services. Air evacuation process accessing Guardian Air’s services is as simple as a phone call to the company. Once all the relevant documentation has been completed, the aircraft will be despatched to collect the patients and seamlessly transport them to the required destination. In most instances from the time of activation of the flight to the time that the aircraft becomes airborne will be approximately two hours.

Commercial repatriations

Guardian Air and ER24 has an added capability of providing highly trained medical personnel to accompany passengers in need of medical attention on commercial flights to all corners of the globe, which may not necessarily require the services of an Air Ambulance.

Booking a flight

Anyone can book an emergency flight.