Wes Blidy’s Heavy Equipment/Diesel Mechanics students recently were hosted by Mercy Flight to check out the aviation side of mechanics. Mercy Flight was established as the pioneer air-medical service in New York State and one of the first operations like it in the United States. It began operations from one base in Buffalo, 12 hours a day, utilizing one leased 206B Jet Ranger helicopter staffed by two pilots and three LaSalle Ambulance paramedics. The Bell 429 is the current helicopter Mercy Flight operates. It is a twin engine IFR capable aircraft with a cruising speed of 180 miles per hour and increased patient care space. The fleet also consists of a Lear Jet 31 and Erie County Air One which is a single engine aircraft.
Mr. Blidy says it was an awesome experience for his Niagara Career and Technical Education Center students. “The students had a chance to get a tour of the total operations of the facility, interview the pilots and emergency personnel, and participated in a few training exercises like the technicians of the aircraft would have to do to fix them.”