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Orbis receives new plane from United Airlines and FedEx
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CHICAGO — Orbis International will have a new look when it replaces its current Flying Eye Hospital with a new plane donated by United Airlines with support from FedEx at an estimated cost of $2 million.
"The big thing about the new plane is that it's going to allow us to have a functional aircraft through the year 2020," Eugene M. Helveston, MD, told Ocular Surgery News in an interview here during the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. "It's a big day for us and it means that we're going to be in business with the only Flying Eye Hospital in the world for another decade."
Dr. Helveston explained that FedEx, which voluntarily maintains the Flying Eye Hospital, has switched their own fleet to a more modern plane model and would not have been able to service their current DC-10. It will be replaced with a new DC-10 Series 30 freighter.
"We would have been out of business for 2 years if we hadn't had the opportunity to have this new aircraft," he said.
Dr. Helveston said the new plane offers several advantages over the previous model.
"The range of new aircraft will be 6,000 miles instead of the current 4,000 and that means that we'll be able to have a much, much lower cost for operation because of less refueling," he said.
An advantage of the freighter design is that it will allow for the hospital portion — waiting room and operating room — to be assembled outside of the plane for easier and less expensive assembly, certification and maintenance.
"This will just make it much more flexible for us, much more cost effective to operate, and it will allow us to bring the latest new surgical instruments and techniques on," Dr. Helveston said. "It's an easier fashion at a lower cost."
A press release from Orbis said the project is expected to take 2 years to complete, but Dr. Helveston said the current DC-10 will be in operation until the new aircraft is ready for use.
He said Orbis is in negotiations to find the proper "final resting place," such as a museum, for the DC-10, as it is a "historic piece of equipment."
"We're excited about the terrific partnership," Dr. Helveston said. "FedEx and United are providing us the donation of the plane. We've had terrific help and support from Honeywell for the avionics, from Boeing for surface structure activities. It's been a really big success story. Mr. A.L. Ueltschi, chairman of the board [of Orbis], has made a $10 million donation to help defray the cost of equipping it and installation of the surgical equipment."
United Airlines, a founding member of the nonprofit organization, donated the first DC-8 that Orbis launched in 1982 and the pilots from United and FedEx fly the current DC-10, which has been in service since 1994, around the world for the Orbis missions.