AURORA, Colo. — A new bird recently joined the flock of the Colorado Army National Guard at Buckley Space Force Base.
“It’s been here a week," said Col. William Gentle, showing off the shiny aircraft inside a hangar. “It even has the new helicopter smell.”
The UH-72B Lakota helicopter will be the new workhorse for the Colorado Hoist Rescue Team during search and rescue missions all over the state.
“We conduct about 25 bona fide rescues per year and save on average about 25 lives," Gentle said. "We come to a hover and then we'll hoist them up to the helicopter, fly away and get them to care."
The Department of Defense purchased 18 of the new Lakota helicopters and Colorado received the first two.
"They’re primarily going to high-altitude locations," Gentle said. “We have the highest mountains, and therefore, the thinnest air.”
The UH-72B Lakota helicopter packs about 25% more power than the previous model, Gentle explained.
“With the five blades, we have better performance, more power,” he said.
The new Lakota chopper will give the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters a break from search and rescue missions in Colorado. They also cost about half as much to operate because they're more fuel-efficient and cheaper to maintain, according to Gentle.
Unlike the Blackhawk, the Lakota is also equipped with technology that allows it to hover on auto-pilot.
"This will take some of that workload off of the pilot so they can focus on safer operations," Gentle said.
The Colorado Hoist Rescue Team flies about two to three times a week on average between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Gentle said. The team has rescued 13 people so far this year.
The two new helicopters will be ready for their first rescues in two to three weeks, Gentle said.
In the meantime, the birds are waiting in the wings until it's time to fly.