Thunder Bay, April 15, 2016

Wisk Air Helicopters has added another state-of-the-art Bell 412 helicopter to its fleet. It is the future tool of aerial emergency response. The speed of the aircraft allows the crews to arrive sooner on site, and allows them a larger radius to work within.

"This aircraft is very versatile and has much more speed and lift capabilities. I's ideal for firefighting, mining, hydro, and emergency response jobs," says Mark Wiskemann, President of Wisk Air Helicopters.

The Bell 412C BLR is a twin-engine utility helicopter. It is a development of the Bell 212 with the major difference being the composite four-blade main rotor.

It's 25% faster than the Bell 205 and Bell 212 models. The Bell 412 also has increased fuel capacity, for example, allowing it to hover over the site of a wildfire for up to an hour (versus 15 minutes of hover time for the Bell 205 and 212 models).

It is the lightest of it's kind in North America and can lift up to 4500 pounds making it ideal for heavy lifts and crew loads due to its original light weight and the installation of the BLR modification.

Wisk Air's Bell 412C(BLR) is equipped with Fastfin BLR technology that increases its certified useful load up to 91%. Benefits of the BLR technology also include improved hover hold, reduced fatigue, and lower operating costs.

Wisk Air Helicopters currently owns 8 helicopters including two Bell 412s, four Bell 407s and two Bell 206 Long Rangers.