A Plane for Maine

We need your help to upgrade and expand LifeFlight’s fleet.

LifeFlight’s commitment to Maine is to provide access to the best care possible for every person who lives in or visits our great state. But given Maine’s size, rural and remote population, and fickle weather patterns, making that happen is complicated.

It requires a fleet that offers multiple modes of transport, all equipped with the best possible medical and aviation equipment to allow us to reach patients every day and night of the year, and to do so safely. 

Since 2015, LifeFlight’s workhorse airplane, Lima Mike, has been an incredibly important component of the fleet. Low visibility due to fog, multiple day rain events, and icing conditions are common occurrences. There are many days out of the year where weather has the helicopter fleet grounded and the airplane is the only asset flying. In addition to its weather capabilities, the airplane flies twice as fast as the helicopter and is more suitable for longer range transports. Like all of our aircraft and ambulances, our airplane is equipped as a mobile ICU.

Technology has changed rapidly in the last 10 years and having flown more miles than any other single LifeFlight asset, LifeFlight’s airplane is reaching significant longevity milestones that will require an extensive $1,500,000 overhaul and upgrade. 

A Plane for Maine.

The summer of 2024 was LifeFlight’s busiest on record – with the crew often responding to 10-14 calls each day, averaging one transport every two hours. In 2025, LifeFlight will formally launch a campaign to purchase an additional plane to care for the people of Maine. But we need your help now to get that campaign off the runway and into the air.

When minutes matter, LifeFlight gives patients their best chance on their worst day. Ultimately, this is not about planes – it’s about people. Without access to a plane, LifeFlight’s ability to reach and care for Maine’s critically ill and injured patients is dramatically diminished.

Get involved.

Stay up-to-date as we get this initiative off the ground. Hear about opportunities to learn more, meet our crew, and ways you can help.

Support the plane.

If you or someone you know can help LifeFlight secure the funding we need to upgrade and expand our fleet, please contact Kate O’Halloran, the Foundation’s Executive Director at 207.314.5230 or kohalloran@lifeflightmaine.org.