HYDE COUNTY, N.C. — Hyde County Emergency Medical Services has begun using an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to respond to 911 calls in what officials describe as a first-of-its-kind program aimed at improving emergency response in rural areas.
During two recent emergency calls, a flight-trained paramedic piloted the eVTOL aircraft directly to patients, Pivotal reported. On one call, the paramedic arrived about 20 minutes before a ground ambulance and began providing advanced life support while other crews were still en route, according to Hyde County EMS and Code Blue Resources.
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Officials said the missions marked the first use of an eVTOL aircraft in routine emergency medical response in the United States. The program is designed to shorten the time between a 911 dispatch and the arrival of advanced medical care, particularly in rural areas where long distances can delay ground ambulances.
The program followed months of planning and flight training, including more than 300 training flights before live missions began.
“Every decision we make is about getting advanced care to our citizens faster,” Hyde County EMS Chief Brook Cox said. “These missions proved that we can overcome distance, reach patients sooner, and redefine emergency response in rural communities.”
During both calls, Paramedic Quinn Reece piloted the Pivotal eVTOL aircraft to GPS coordinates near the emergency scenes. Reece, who served as both pilot and advanced life support provider, carried a cardiac monitor, airway supplies and other medical equipment to begin treating patients after landing.
“From the beginning, our goal wasn’t simply to prove an eVTOL could respond to a 911 call — it was to prove that Advanced Life Support could reach patients sooner,” Code Blue Resources President Carla Baker said. “This project demonstrated far more than the successful integration of aviation into EMS. It validated a new model for emergency response — one where experienced paramedics can be safely trained to fly, respond, and begin advanced patient care sooner in communities where time and geography have always been barriers. We believe the framework developed through this partnership provides a practical foundation for other communities exploring Advanced Air Mobility and the future of emergency medical response.”
Unlike traditional medical helicopters, which typically require larger landing zones, Pivotal’s eVTOL aircraft can land in smaller clearings near patients, including on grass and pavement. The aircraft also produces less noise and rotor wash than conventional helicopters.
“Emergency medicine has measured response in miles driven for decades,” Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin said. “The Hyde County program demonstrated that it can instead be measured in minutes saved. When a flight-trained paramedic can fly directly to a patient rather than drive around rivers, farmland and other geographic barriers, advanced medical care begins sooner. This is an entirely new approach to first response.”
Officials said the Hyde County program could provide a model for other EMS agencies seeking to use eVTOL aircraft to deliver advanced medical care more quickly.
