BK117 STARS helicopter landing in its final flight to Lethbridge. (Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

1985 STARS Helicopter makes farewell voyage in Lethbridge

Oct 30, 2019 | 12:35 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – After nearly 35 years of serving southern Alberta, the BK117 STARS Air Ambulance flew to Lethbridge for the final time.

This particular aircraft was the first-ever STARS helicopter to fly in Alberta, first picking up Kelly Waldron in Lethbridge on December 1st, 1985.

STARS Chief Operating Officer Mike Lamacchia shared the story of how they picked up their VIP, or Very Important Patient.

“She was a premature baby and we transported her in. To signify the importance of her, our call signs on our new aircraft is KLY to represent Kelly.”

All these years later, however, Lamacchia says the BK117 is aging and in need of replacement.

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STARS is in the process of replacing all of its old fleet with nine new helicopters, each of which costs around $13-million. Five will be dedicated to Alberta.

“It’s an AH145. It comes with all the advanced technology – autopilot, a lot of terrain warning systems for our pilots. Less fatigue with flying the aircraft and a lot of safety features so our pilots enjoy it. It’s got an advanced medical interior that our air medical crew love and enjoy working in.”

The new choppers will fly out of Calgary, as they currently do. Lamacchia says it is around a 50 minute trip from Calgary to Lethbridge.

At the STARS event in Lethbridge was Chelsie Bullock, a former-STARS patient that has devoted many years to helping the organization.

She was one of their patients in 2007. Bullock and her friend were t-boned while driving in southern Alberta, which resulted in serious injuries that required immediate medical attention.

The STARS Air Ambulance took her from Lethbridge to Calgary.

Bullock talked about how much the organization means to her.

“I wish I could give them millions of dollars, but I can’t. This is my way of helping is by sharing my story and helping people know how it impacts their lives and how it impacted my life and how it can impact other peoples’ life as STARS is in the sky and they’re able to help.”

Bullock’s mother Alyson says STARS played a huge role in ensuring her daughter was able to get the care she needed.

“I could see that they were very competent people and they knew what they were doing and they were going to take care of our precious daughter and they did just that. Without them, I don’t know that she would be here today had they not been able to get her to where she needed to be in that amount of time.”

From April 1st, 2018 to March 31st, 2019, STARS made 61 trips to Lethbridge, making it their busiest community in Alberta.