Virginia State Police acquire Bell 412EPi

The Virginia State Police Department expects to begin operations with its Bell 412EPi this Fall. In preparation for its arrival, Virginia State Police pilots completed specialized Bell 412 flight training at the Bell Training Academy (BTA) in Fort Worth, TX.

The Bell 412EPi features a Bell BasiX ProTM intergraded glass flight deck with four 10.4-inch LCD display units, an electronic flight instrumentation system (EFS), and engine-indicating and crew-alerting system (EICAS), a Garmin GTN-750 Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) GPS navigation system with touch screen controls, terrain data displays, critical flight information, terrain avoidance warning system (H-TAWS) and power situation indicator.

The avionics suite also includes rubber-band flight planning, high resolution digital maps, and electronic charts. It features approach plates, transponder for automatic dependence surveillance-broadcast, and XM satellite links.

The Bell 412EPi will expand the Virginia State Police’s emergency services fleet. With modern flight technology, pilots can use high-resolution maps and terrain data on four displays to easily navigate in challenging environments. This multi-mission ready aircraft has the capacity to seat up to 14 passengers, fitting all the crew and medical equipment needed for emergency missions.

The aircraft joins a diverse fleet which also includes five Bell 407s, one Airbus EC-145 and three Cessna 206 Turbo Stationair fixed-wing aircraft. The team previously received delivery of a Bell 407 in December 2020.

The Aviation Unit provides medical evacuations statewide

The unit provides a range of services to the state’s population of 8.5 million, including law enforcement support, search and rescue, and medical evacuation provision.

The division has three bases – one law enforcement base in Lynchburg, and two medical bases in Richmond and Abingdon. Both MedFlight bases serve more than 40 hospitals and partner with large-scale emergency service agencies such as Ballad Health, VCU Health, and Chesterfield Fire Department who provide flight nurses and paramedics for health services in-flight.

“The State Police Aviation Division is Virginia’s only law enforcement agency with hoist capabilities,” said Captain Shawn Rivard, Aviation Division commander, Virginia State Police. “Having the adequate aircraft to provide such an essential emergency service is critical to state police’s ability to fulfil our rescue and medical response missions as safely and efficiently as possible.”

“Due to the spacious interior of the Bell 412, we were able to design the aircraft to dedicate one side to rescue personnel and operations, and the other side to accommodate a full-length stretcher so as to enhance patient transport and treatment,” he added.