Flying ambulance

The flying ambulance was a service initiated by Brown-Service Funeral Homes president Rufus Lackey in 1945 to transport medical patients and physicians over long distances. It was the first such service to operate for civilians in the United States.

The 8-passenger aircraft that Lackey bought through the Southern Airways Sales Company was a newly-built civilian version of Beechcraft's twin-engine C-45 transport. It was powered by two 450-horsepower Pratt & Whitney engines and could cover 1,100 miles on 256 gallons of fuel with a cruising speed of 220 mph. Veteran Air Force Captain Bruce Wilson was hired as the ambulance's first pilot.

The service was discontinued by the newly-merged Ridout's Brown Service company in 1953.

References

• Haise, Jude (Fall 2014) "Birmingham’s "Flying Ambulance"" Jefferson County Historical Association newsletter