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September 2, 2010 · AirLife crews have saved thousands of lives since its first flight to save a cardiac patient in 1990. Pilot Mark Graveline, who has flown more than 4,300 trips for AirLife, says the program today has a much broader mission, including all kinds of trauma injuries. That means he and his fellow pilots must stay alert to dangerous settings.
Graveline: "Landing at the different hospitals, on highways and all the different locations. Probably one of the more challenging ones is out there in New Braunfels on the Guadalupe, usually the second crossing. That can be a little bit of a challenge there, especially when you get a lot of the visitors and tourists that are camping out around the area. You have to be really careful."
Dozens of patients who survived life-threatening injuries spoke at the celebration Wednesday, including Jane Swanson, the sole survivor of the Century 21 office shooting in 2003.
Swanson: "I remember the noise. It’s loud. And the wind. So today, to me, whenever I hear helicopters, AirLife helicopters, it’s like hearing the flapping of angel wings. To me, that’s a privilege."
AirLife rescues nearly 4,000 injured and ill patients each year. It flies anyone who needs the service, regardless of ability to pay.
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