Winter wonder: Sweden’s helicopter emergency medical services

Flying HEMS operations requires skill in the face of the unexpected—even more so in Sweden, where climate and topography play a role. H145 chief pilot, Captain Kate Lindvall, explains.

Twelve years flying oil and gas missions out of Norway was nothing compared to the unpredictability of helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) missions in Sweden. “One minute I can be flying across the Baltic, under the clouds to avoid ice, and the next I’m landing in a green field on Gotland [off the coast of Sweden],” says Captain Kate Lindvall, H145 chief pilot with Avincis Sweden. Lindvall flies HEMS on the island of Gotland for Avincis, a global emergency aerial services operator, transferring accident victims and emergency patients to local Visby Hospital. She also carries patients on inter-facility transfers to Stockholm’s Karolinksa University Hospital. While an ambulance will take hours, including the trip by ferry, the H145 does the work in less time, in poor weather, despite wind, snow and everything in between. “The Baltic gets pretty hostile in winter,” she laughs.

Authored on

Thu, 03/05/2026 - 14:35

Avincis Sweden’s H145 chief pilot, Captain Kate Lindvall

Ice and islands, a double challenge

The Stockholm region with its archipelagos and the island of Gotland hold a number of challenges for HEMS pilots. When responding to emergencies in the area Lindvall’s colleagues are adept at one-skid landings, setting the helicopter down on a rock to disembark the nurse and doctor. Similarly, flying low over a major city like Stockholm requires that pilots keep to strict safety and sound standards to minimise the impact on residents. Avincis Sweden operates 13 aircraft out of 10 bases, with an additional 13 aircraft and 8 bases for fixed wing ambulance services in Norway, ensuring HEMS coverage for the greater Scandinavian region—a key service both in winter and summer. During 21-23 June 2025, for instance, they recorded 124 missions for all bases, with the Stockholm area clocking more than 80 missions in 3 days. To effectively serve patients and complement an existing Airbus helicopter fleet that includes the five-bladed H145, Avincis has been investing in the fleet, taking delivery in June 2025 of two five-bladed H145s for its Stockholm operations, for a total of four of this newest H145 version.

Authored on

Thu, 03/05/2026 - 14:32

Avincis' Airbus H145

No better aircraft

“I remember thinking, ‘wow, I love this aircraft,’” says Lindvall, recounting a recent flight to Stockholm with a critically ill patient. Cloud ceilings were low and she was initially on an instrument approach to Stockholm Bromma airfield but broke off for a visual approach to Karolinska hospital. She was about to tell the control tower she would need to land at the airfield when, “suddenly I said, ‘I see the hospital,’ and we continued in and landed. Nothing more dramatic than that, except for the helicopter,” says Lindvall. “It went from being stable in poor-weather IFR over the Baltic, to changing completely to the big city, flying 200 feet above rooftops with low clouds and reduced visibility — I can’t think of a better aircraft to have flown in that situation.” It is precisely its advanced features that make the H145 a hand-in-glove fit in the Swedish landscape. 

The five-bladed H145’s 3,800 kg maximum take-off weight means Lindvall can take extra fuel, allowing her a buffer when planning alternate routes. And its rearloading patient bay and cabin capacity facilitate patient care. Moreover, the Aerolite medical interior has everything needed for a first responder call, including oxygen, intravenous drip, trauma kit and a chest compression device. Lindvall’s flights sometimes include taking a patient to Stockholm for a scheduled surgery; at these times, the helicopter is reconfigured to fit two stretchers, to bring two patients to the mainland. Other times it will be an emergency that allows only the time to go straight on. No matter the case, “the H145 is so smooth, I think that’s the biggest difference to patients,” she says, describing her past year at Avincis. “Flying air ambulance was always a dream. It’s heartwarming to see the level of compassion the medical team shows the patient.” 

Authored on

Sun, 03/08/2026 - 01:02

Avincis' Airbus H145