The Penn Health System's fleet of helicopters is about to grow.
The four-rotorcraft PennSTAR Air Medical Services will receive a delivery of two American Eurocopter EC135s, advanced aircraft that can carry six or seven passengers and come equipped with night-vision goggles, according to Rotorhub, a source for helicopter-related news.
The new helicopters will be based in Carbon and Chester counties outside the city, which are challenging regions for flying at night because of their lack of ground lighting.
Carbon County features additional hazards in the form of mountainous terrain.
The PennSTAR team is part of the University of Pennsylvania Trauma Network, which includes trauma centers in Bethlehem and Reading, Pa.
The Penn Health System includes the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn-Presbyterian Medical Center and Pennsylvania Hospital.
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