The Atlanta Ebola Plane

a reply to: Zebra501

There are more shots at this link in the OP: This Amazing Jet Will Transport Ebola Victims From Africa To The U.S.

The diagram of the interior is from PhoenixAir.

The very first story I heard, also in the OP, was that Samaritan's Purse contracted with PhoenixAir to get them home because they wanted to come home and they made it sound like they were paying for the flights. Later, more people got involved in or admited to being in the decision/involvement chain. SP got agreement from Emory, who was linked to the CDC, who was vague about it at first, a Department of State memo was issues pointing to the CDC, who made no official statement about it for days (still really hasn't from what I've seen), the military clearly agreed to let the plane land at Dobbins, but again no official statements (that I've seen anyway), and then the NIH started coming into the picture when people realized there was a trial starting in September and that there was a "secret serum" and later that the NIH was involved. That's about all I remember.

a reply to: Zebra501
I thought the same thing at first. That it looked a lot smaller, hence why I was surprised at the ability to hold two (and another plane is equipped to hold three) patients.

This is the tent they allegedly put inside the plane.

Maybe the tent made it look smaller. Not sure.

Three patient plane...


And again. two patient plane...


Oops...I just realized that in the OP I posted the three and not the two that I meant to post. Bad, ~Luc.

Lucidity, check out the WSB link in my previous post. I suppose it can be the same interior but it just looks smaller when the isolation pod is in it vs just stretchers.

On some other thread or other I read we only have ONE plane that can fly isolation patients.....is that the one...and if not why not....

a reply to: Zebra501

See above. I saw that report and a few others locally and that's what got me interested in all this.


a reply to: stirling
I'm almost sure I heard them say that too. There is only one plane so equipped and we're lucky to have it here where the CDC and Emory are.

a reply to: Zebra501

They're set up for normal stretchers or beds, that's why it looks different.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Zebra501

They're set up for normal stretchers or beds, that's why it looks different.

Yeah I probably could have phrased it differently.

Phoenix Air owns and operates the only two Gulfstream G-III business jets in the world with cargo doors. Each has been outfitted with a Critical Care “package” which can be quickly installed and customized for single or multiple patients with attending medical staff. [Source]

a reply to: ~Lucidity

We used to use C-9s, C-141s, and KC-135s for the same mission, only it was injuries, not illnesses. Could pack 40-50 into a plane depending on the type.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Those hospital planes are jaw-droppingly amazing. I've been in one (C-141), at Dobbins, in fact.

I'm also the dork who sat on the end of the runway Saturday morning waiting for this plane, which came as soon as I left, of course.

a reply to: ~Lucidity

I see the range of a G3 with wing tips being around 6000 miles plus. 28275 lbs of fuel and a burn rate of 2500 lbs an hour at .77 mach. to 586 mph x 11 hours of fuel 6446 miles. That is still giving a bit. As far as the run way they landed in in Africa it would be long enough for full weighted take off. Lungi International airport is 10498 ft run way . At 500lbs lighter than Maximum take off weight the jet only need s 5700 ft. Now the ifr max travel distance witch is line of sight flight. which over water they would not be using the max distance is 3650 Nautical miles.

here is a range and performance numbers for the Gulf stream 3 compair.aviationresearch.com...

a reply to: speeddr2000
Thank you. Those number vary a little from the ones I've found.

I'm also still not sure what airport they used in Liberia.

Good info...

a reply to: speeddr2000

They would be hard pressed to be anywhere near MTOW out of Africa though. That's the wrench thrown in here. Even the GE90 used on the 777 isn't efficient enough for a max takeoff in that region, and that's 100,000 lbs of thrust in each engine.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I agree i don't know what that aircraft in its current configuration weights, so hard to say. The only airport i have found in the region with international status that i think they would have used was lungi international . How ever they could have used another or even a military run way . When the gulf stream 3's fly in to my little airport they usually have a ton of people and luggage on board . They take 1800 gallons or 14000 lbs of fuel and are able to take off a 4800 ft run way.

a reply to: speeddr2000

Once they get into Africa and the Middle East, it's fuel or cargo, they can't do both. Usually it's fuel though. High altitude and hot air make loading interesting.

tip of the day: kickstarter project for air ambulance service on call anywhere and anytime...call 1-800-fly-2day

Features: 2-12 occupancy, non stop flight and mid air fueling available

25% less than all other currently available, i.e, one and only.

Perks could be profit sharing

Required?

Old used recycled medical equipment and paramedic staff trained and on call.

Cheap plane with nice red and white paint job.

2-12 Single Unit Plastic Isolation chambers

Funding Amount $1,000,000

Ticket Costs $500,000 pp

a reply to: dojozen

Que?

a reply to: ~Lucidity
crowd source funding venture for air ambulance service...

originally posted by: dojozen
a reply to: ~Lucidity
crowd source funding venture for air ambulance service...

That would be crowdfunding.

And nope. I don't thing Phoenix Air Group is hurting for money.

Phoenix Air Group, Inc. Wins $16.32 Million Federal Contract

Phoenix Air Group Inc. Wins $23,153,136 Federal Contract

The Obscure Airline That Evacuated the American Ebola Patients

We do a lot of very unique programs that involve aviation for various federal agencies, this is simply one of many contracts that we hold,” Dan Thompson, a Phoenix Air spokesman told Mashable. “We do a lot of weird stuff.” “We do a lot of weird stuff.”

According to its website, Phoenix Air owns 85% of the land at the airport in Cartersville (population 19,731), taking up five hangars and two office buildings. Federal records show that the company employs about 150 people and owns 45 aircrafts. Its business with the federal government totaled $46 million in fiscal year 2011, the most recent year that figures were available at fedspending.org .

Phoenix Air details Ebola flight operations in 'flying ICU' Read more: The Daily Tribune News - Phoenix Air details Ebola flight operations in flying ICUe

When Phoenix Air Group Inc. Vice President Dent Thompson was on vacation, he received a phone call from someone he described as a highly placed doctor with the U.S. Department of State. The question posed to Thompson that day was simple: if needed, can you transport a patient infected with Ebola to the United States?

The pair of flights, Thompson emphasized during the press conference, were not paid for by the U.S. government. Samaritan’s Purse footed the bill.

“The mission that we did to Liberia was paid for by the charity and there’s been a lot of questions. Why did the government pay for it? Well, the government did not pay for it. The government supported us and gave us a great deal of assistance, but these two flights were considered a private flight for that organization, but I can assure you we had 110 percent support of the entire United States government behind us. Because everybody very much wanted these two American citizens brought back here,” Thompson said.

Both flights followed the same route: outbound flights stopped at a U.S. airbase in the Azores off the northwest coast of Africa before landing in Monrovia, Liberia, while inbound flights stopped at the Azores and continued on to Bangor, Maine, to reenter the U.S. Both flights landed at Dobbins Air Force Reserve base, where the patients were transported by a specialized ambulance to a wing of Emory University Hospital.

www.dtic.mil...


RDT&Edap.dau.mil...

Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriations are used to finance the following efforts. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Efforts, (covers the equipment, material or computer application software developed with RDT&E funds) Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E) and Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E), Research and Development (R&D) installations and activities (finances the operation of certain government research and development (R&D) installations and activities engaged in the conduct of R&D programs, for example, laboratories and test ranges. Note that the Navy R&D activities are operated under the Navy working Capital Fund. Customers purchasing goods and services from these Navy R&D activities will generally use RDT&E funds to finance these purchases and certain industrial facilities ad R&D installation RDT&E finances the acquisition or construction of certain industrial facilities costing less that $750,000 at R&D installations. Further detail on the criteria for funding efforts with RDT&E appropriations can be found in the DoD Financial Management Regulation 7000.14-R, Volume 2A, Chapter 1, paragraph 010213.

ETA: They don't seem do a lot of open campaign contributing either: www.opensecrets.org...

Do they do rendition flights? groups.yahoo.com...

State Dept Awards $4.9 Million Contract to Phoenix Air for Air Ambulance Evacuation #Ebola

Public records indicate that the State Department awarded the air ambulance contract on August 18, 2014. The sole source contract was awarded to Phoenix Air for a period of six (6) months at an estimated cost of $4,900,000.00 under FAR 6.302-2 for “unusual and compelling urgency.” The services include among others, air ambulance evacuation, a dedicated on-call aircraft and flight crew, an aero-biological containment system, and emergency recall and mission preparedness:

The plane in this thread has recently been to Hawaii. Keep an eye on that.

Still looking to see if it was one of their planes brining Vinson to Emory. Can't find a tail number.

ETA: N544PA flew from Dallas Love Field (KDAL) to Dekalb-Peachtree (KPDK) Oct 14. Not sure if this is an air ambulance.

Cartersville-based Phoenix Air, which transported previous Ebola patients to metro Atlanta, would not confirm it is flying the Dallas nurse here as well. However, the company is the only operator that does this type of transport.

Phoenix has done about a dozen Ebola-related missions, and now has a contract with the State Department to be on call 24/7 on 12-hour notice.

But if the Ebola problem broadens, said Randy Davis, Phoenix Air’s general counsel, “We are concerned about getting overwhelmed” and the company is equipping an additional Gulfstream III aircraft for the transports. “It’s a challenge and we’re trying to rise to the occasion.”

The aircraft are specially-equipped to transport the patients. As of yet, “We have had no problems,” Davis said. The company’s employees are all fine, he said. [Source]