The Bulgarian Center for Emergency Medical Assistance by Air organisation have announced the arrival of their third emergency medical air helicopter.  The Leonardo A109S Trekker landed at  landed at Jambol Bezmer Air Base and will in due course operate from the regional HEMS base in the city of Sliven.

The second Trekker was delivered at the end of February, and is also stationed at Sliven. Eight aeromedical teams, consisting of 9 doctors and 8 nurses, work there. The teams have undergone mandatory training, as well as the necessary examinations, according to the requirements for European aviation medical class 2.

The helicopter took an extended delivery route, flying from the factory in Milan on 27th March right down Italy’s east coast via Ancona, Foggia and Bari to Brindisi, arriving on 28th.  Various local flights were then done from Brindisi on Saturday 29th and Monday 31st before proceeding on 1st across the Adriatic Sea to Kefalonia and thence further south to Athens.  On 2nd it then headed north to Kavala, and the initial flight from Kavala towards Bulgaria was aborted and it landed back at Kavala after 54 minutes.  Early on Tuesday 3rd, a second departure from Kavala followed the same initial routing and continued through to Sliven in Bulgaria.

Market intelligence company Parapex Media advises that the helicopter is serial number 22753 and was delivered on the Italian test registration I-PTFO.  In due course it will become LZ-HMC