AMREF Flying Doctors latest addition to the fleet, the Pilatus PC12 officially took off on its maiden flight on 29th Nov 2016.

Its first mission was to evacuate a patient under the AMREF Flying Doctors MAISHA cover, from Juba South Sudan to Nairobi Kenya.

This patient had acute abdominal complication and had been referred to a hospital in Nairobi for specialized treatment.

After all operational requirements, including landing and over flight clearances were in place, the PC-12 call sign Flydoc02 took off from Wilson Airport at 1100hrs local time.

Cruising at 26,000 feet with a cruise speed of 230-240 knots, the aircraft touched down in Juba at 1325hrs, was on ground for an hour, took off and landed back in Nairobi at 1640hrs local time.

The maiden flight was conducted By our chief pilot Capt James Ngati, and Capt Sam Pertet with Dr Angela Harper and flight nurse Charles Atemba as medical crew.

The PC12 is a single engine pressurised aircraft operating at higher altitudes and cruising speed, yet with capability to access unmanned airstrips shorter than 800m.

As demonstrated by its maiden flight the PC-12 is an added value to the AFD fleet, improving our ability to respond faster and further to medical emergencies.