The three EC-145 STARFlight helicopters in Travis County in central Texas are used for medical transport, swift-water rescue, search and rescue, high-angle rescue, fire suppression, aerial reconnaissance, and law enforcement. A fourth helicopter recently acquired, a UH-1H Huey, will only be used for fires. It can carry up to 325 gallons of water in a belly tank, much more than the EC-145’s 130-gallon attached Bambi bucket.
The Huey was originally manufactured by Bell Helicopter, served in Vietnam and was later retrofitted for STARFlight by Northwest Helicopters in Olympia, Wash. Travis County purchased the aircraft with spare parts, tools, and training for $2.2 million.
Thanks and a hat tip go out to Jansen.