The Army National Guard Blackhawk  helicopter just before the first touchdown atop the UAMS Medical Center landing pad.
	UAMS’ Ron Crane, left, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeff Apke, of the Arkansas Army National Guard, approach onlookers after the landing.
	Melissa Fontaine, chief operating officer of UAMS Medical Center, gets a turn in the pilot’s seat.

Jan. 9, 2009 | With a roar, the Blackhawk helicopter approached the helipad and deftly maneuvered between antennas and a construction crane to alight atop the new hospital at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

As the giant blade slowly whirled to a stop on the helipad 10 stories up, it marked the first time an Arkansas Army National Guard helicopter landed atop such a tall building.

“It did great. It was a wonderful pad, plenty big enough for us,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeff Apke, who along with Maj. Phillip Hogue piloted the 16,000-pound craft.

The test landing Jan. 9 was a first for UAMS as well, one of the final undertakings in preparation for the dedication of its new high-tech hospital that is set for a dedication ceremony Jan. 16. Patients will be moved in the next day.

“We designed it with the Guard in mind,” said Ron Crane, UAMS emergency preparedness manager, adding that no other hospital in the state can handle such a large helicopter.

The 540,000-square-foot, nearly $20 million building was built with special support so it could sustain the Blackhawk, which weighs 22,000 pounds when fully loaded with five crew members and six patients.

The training exercise was the beginning of a partnership between UAMS and the Guard for disaster response to evacuate the injured, such as in the event of an earthquake or other mass casualty situation, Crane said. The helipad is just steps from a dedicated elevator that can take patients directly to a trauma room or surgery.

The landing site was constructed as to minimize noise and vibrations for hospital patients.

Most civilian medivac helipcoters weigh about half as much as the Blackhawk and can carry only one or two patients at a time, Apke said. The Blackhawk usually carries a crew of two medics, one crew chief and two pilots. The tallness of the building allows pilots to choose from a number of approaches, making it easier to land, he said.