Urban Aeronautics Ltd., a leading Israeli aerospace company, has announced an agreement to provide four CityHawk VTOL aircraft to Hatzolah Air for emergency medical service applications.
“Hatzolah’s pre-order of four air ambulance CityHawks is an amazing show of confidence in our programme and in our company,” said Nimrod Golan-Yanay, CEO of Urban Aeronautics. “We look forward to delivering on our promise to revolutionise urban air mobility and the emergency response capabilities of major cities across the world.”
Hatzolah Air will become Urban Aeronautics’ official sales representative and distributor to EMS organisations worldwide. Both companies earlier signed an MOU to develop, produce, and market the CityHawk aircraft.
What makes this announcement so significant? Just take a look at the CityHawk! It’s like a vehicle straight out of the cult movie Blade Runner.
A lightweight twin-engine VTOL with a unique compact footprint that can be optimised for urban transportation or emergency response. CityHawk will utilise jet propulsion, with cabin space that’s 20%–30% larger and will be much quieter than any helicopter. The aircraft is planned to complete its development and FAA certification for EMS use and be ready for production within three to five years.
Urban Aeronautics’ engineers are now working closely with Hatzolah’s experts to tailor the CityHawk flying ambulance to their specific operational requirements. The crew will consist of a pilot, a patient plus companion, two EMS personnel, and a complete suite of onboard life support equipment.
While it may be up to five years away, the CityHawk may well be the first practical use of a VTOL platform, rather than just fantasy models that are destined only for the super wealthy to play about in!
As a kid, I was told never to look over towards the scene of traffic accident out of respect, and rightly so. But I have to say that when I see my first CityHawk rushing to the scene of an accident I will just take one quick glance at this remarkable piece of aviation technology.
