Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNorway Used An F-16 Fighter Jet To Save A Man's Life
The F-16 Viper, a fighter jet used by numerous countries around the world including Norway, is capable of flying at more than 1,000 miles per hour. So when a patient in northern Norway needed lifesaving equipment and need it quickly, the Norwegian Air Force came to the rescue.
A critically ill man in the northern Norwegian city of Bodø needed an ECMO machine, which is normally used to supplement a patients own heart and lungs. That was a problem, as the nearest ECMO machine was in Trondheim, which was 280 miles to the south, according to the Independent:
A 10-hour journey by car, they feared the man would die before it could arrive.
However, after a moment of inspiration, they decided to contact an air force base near Trondheim to ask if there was any hope of getting the equipment to Bodø in time to save the patient, whose precise condition was unclear.
And Lieutenant Colonel Børge Gaff Kleppe, leader of 338 Squadron, told local media outlet VG News: Chance would have it that we had two flights bound for [nearby] Moss on an exercise.
F-16s, like many fighter aircraft, are capable of carrying cargo compartments under the wings instead of bombs and missiles. Normally, theyre used to carry things like the fighter pilots luggage when theyre flying between bases. The F-16s were just heading to the nearby airbase for an exercise, so they wouldnt normally be carrying one, the Independent report said. But in the hour of need, one was found and fitted immediately.
The pilot, presumably knowing just how dire the situation was, was able to shave ten minutes off of what would normally be a 35-minute flight, and the ECMO machine was delivered just 40 minutes after the phone call was made.
(For those who exist outside of both space and time and need a reference, I usually cant get to my own office in 40 minutes, let alone carry anything with me.)
Good on you, Norwegian Air Force, for not only being incredibly capable when your people needed you, but for also being accessible enough that a hospital could call you up and just be like, help.
Maybe the entire world could try this? And I dont want to hear anyone whining that we cant do it because of high costs. It costs roughly $22,514 to fly an F-16 for one hour. Im pretty sure thats cheaper than an ambulance.
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
8 replies, 1329 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (33)
ReplyReply to this post
8 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Norway Used An F-16 Fighter Jet To Save A Man's Life (Original Post)
FLPanhandle
Apr 2016
OP
The teabaggers here would scream bloody fricking murder if that was done for a regular person here..
47of74
Apr 2016
#3
that what TAXES can do. scandanavians have WAY better hearth care. and no bankruptsies.
pansypoo53219
Apr 2016
#4
Calista241
(5,586 posts)1. Cool story. n/t
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)2. Link?
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)6. Here you go
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)7. Ahh, Foxtrot Alpha I should have known.
Love that site.
47of74
(18,470 posts)3. The teabaggers here would scream bloody fricking murder if that was done for a regular person here..
If it was someone like Shrub, Cheney, or Rummy the news media would be going non fucking stop about how great it was for the military to do that. But anyone else, especially a regular person or their families our media would be screaming up a streak about how wasteful it was.
pansypoo53219
(20,982 posts)4. that what TAXES can do. scandanavians have WAY better hearth care. and no bankruptsies.
Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)8. I'm glad the Norwegians put an F-16 to good use
Don't you wish everybody would?