A STARS pilot, two flight paramedics and their P.D.O. drew quite a crowd Tuesday morning when they landed the newest member of their fleet at the Steinbach North Airport.

And, instead of being met by an ambulance, emergency responders and a patient, there was a large group of dignitaries and business partners, waiting to get an up-close and personal look at this new helicopter.

The new Airbus H145 has been part of the STARS family for nearly two months now and it was time to take it out of its hanger in Winnipeg and show it off to the province.

STARS flight paramedics Ray Rempel and Jenn Fosty

Ray Rempel, from Steinbach, is also a STARS flight paramedic and calls their new helicopter a “community helicopter. I live here and we brought this for the community.”

Rempel calls the new Airbus H145 an “incredible” machine.

“So, today is actually my very first day in the air with this aircraft. It has a five-blade rotor system which really dampens the vibration. It’s a really smooth flight. More power, a little faster and more range.” He says, “this helicopter will serve the community for a long time.”

Although the outside of the helicopter still has the familiar red paint with the STARS logo on it, the inside is very different. Rempel says, “There is a lot of stuff inside that you have to get used to, but you know, the care hasn't changed. We still provide critical care for the sickest of the sick or the most injured. But yeah, what's nice about this aircraft is the stretcher and trolley system. It just gives us a little bit more ability to reconfigure the aircraft, and it's just more ergonomic for patient care. So, we are really excited to be able to work in the back of this aircraft.”

Another difference in this machine is that, for pilots, nearly everything is computerized and automated. Rempel says, “It's beautiful. You know, on the way in here I actually got the front seat and had a great view of the panels. It's incredible. The aircraft has so many built-in safety features that we're just going to enhance safety for aviation as well as medicine in the back.”

For the past six weeks, STARS staff have been training in their hangar in Winnipeg. Tuesday's flight to Steinbach was intended for in-the-air training. “Getting used to the dynamics of flight and how we're going to be working in the back while in-flight.” Rempel says the STARS crew will be going to communities across Manitoba for the next two to three weeks. They are hoping to go Live with the aircraft by the end of November.

STARS Provincial Director of Operations, Grant TherrienThe STARS Provincial Director of Operations, Grant Therrien, says “getting to show off the helicopter has been a long time coming.”

“We are so excited and so proud to be here today to do a little bit of training, while at the same time, to show some of our local friends the Airbus H145 helicopter up close. So it's a pretty exciting day for us.”

When asked what this aircraft meant to STARS, Therrien says, “to me, this embodies the next 30 years of helicopter EMS in this province. This machine has a very reliable airframe which we have vetted thoroughly and so we're very excited. It's going to be an aircraft that's going to serve thousands of patients to come, right here in Manitoba.”

STARS is a non-profit organization and is dependent on the support of the community and government partners and because of that support, they have been able to purchase the 13-million dollar helicopter for Manitobans.

Therrien says, “We're very proud of the partnerships we have in the various communities, including here in Steinbach and we could not do it without them.” He continues, “This machine provides us with a reliable aircraft, reduced maintenance costs, reduce downtime which means we're going to be available more often. It's going to provide us with a helicopter that is cutting edge. The technology and onboard avionics make it so much safer. The rear of the compartment where the patient is, is larger and custom-built for critical care, as well it's more comfortable for the STARS crew and their patients. So, all in all, it's just an upgrade for what we've had, and it's going to be a reliable machine for years to come.”

Daryl Braun, Donor relations, Development and Community Engagement Officer for STARS says they are flying the Airbus H145 across Manitoba as part of their training. But to also say thank you to their corporate donors, many of who came to the Tuesday event. Braun says by bringing the helicopter to local communities we are saying thank you, “to those who support us in this project. These donors helped raise money to buy this helicopter. But also, to the local community leaders and politicians, to whom we wanted to give a chance to see how STARS spent their donations.”