Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How far and fast do Life Flight aircraft fly?
A. Generally, the helicopter cruises at 129 knots (about 130 mph) with a range of nearly 120 miles. The airplane cruises at 220 mph and has a range of 1,000 miles.
Q. Who flies the aircraft?
A. Life Flight 1 (helicopter) is staffed with a pilot, a flight nurse and a flight paramedic. Life Flight 3 (airplane) is staffed with two pilots, a flight nurse and a flight paramedic. All crew members have received specialized training and participate in rigorous ongoing training.
Q. Who can request life flight?
A. Any healthcare or emergency service professional can activate Life Flight. Firefighters, police officers, EMTs, paramedics, nurses and physicians all have the authority to request the aircraft to launch.
Q. How many scene flights does Wyoming Life Flight make compared to inter-facility flights?
A. Life Flight makes about 460 scene flights and 250 inter-facility flights a year.
Q. What happens if someone needs transport when the helicopter is in use or the weather prohibits flights?
Wyoming Life Flight puts safety first. During times when conditions are unsafe for flying, we send crews by ambulance to medical emergency scenes to rendezvous with agencies requesting emergency service, and we work with other facilities to schedule inter-facility flights for another time. If conditions are safe but we are busy, our dispatchers will coordinate transport through another regional air transport service.
Q. Are some patients too unstable for transport?
A. Wyoming Life Flight specializes in caring for critically ill and/or unstable patients during air transport. We help the physician team make the decision to fly based on the patient’s condition upon arrival at the patient’s bedside. We will stand by and assist in stabilizing the patient and preparing the patient for transport with the sending facility.
Q. How many patients can Wyoming Life Flight transport at a time?
A. For best patient care, we transport one patient at a time.
Q. Can family members come on flights?
A. Due to aircraft safety, weight and capacity constraints, Life Flight typically cannot accommodate family members. Exceptions are made at the discretion of the flight team, and final decision rests with the pilot.
Q. What is the cost of air transport?
A. Helicopter flights average between $6,000 and $10,000; airplane flights average between $4,000 and $6,000.
Q. Who pays for the flight?
Wyoming Life Flight first bills patients’ insurance companies. We then pick up the remainder of the balance for those enrolled in the Life Flight Membership Program (link) and directly bill those without membership.
Q. Will you take me to my hospital of choice?
A. In the case of a medical emergency, you will be flown to the nearest, most appropriate facility. If you have insurance and require an inter-facility flight, your insurance company may evaluate your injury or illness and designate a hospital for your treatment. If you or your physician desire another hospital, you may be responsible for the extra mileage incurred.
Q. Does life flight provide other community services?
A. Wyoming Life Flight assists and provides continuing education and training for medical professionals throughout the state. Life Flight also works with emergency medical services that want training in patient preparation for transport and/or in-depth training on any medical topic.