Fixed wing aircraft
In the northern part of Sweden, the flying distances
may be so long that refuelling may be necessary for a
helicopter. This makes transport with aircraft, or “fixed
wing”, an attractive alternative for inter-hospital transports
(Figure 4). The advantage is higher speed (2-2.5
times higher than with a helicopter), all weather capacity,
and no refuelling. The disadvantage is the necessary
secondary transport with ground ambulances between
hospitals and airports. The University Hospital for
Northern Sweden (the only level 1 trauma hospital in
the northern half of Sweden) is situated within three
kilometres driving distance from Umeå airport, which
is a great advantage when using fixed wing transport.
These aircrafts fly between 6,000 – 8,000 missions per
year, the majority planned secondary transport between
hospitals.