History

The task of its organization was given to Tadeusz Więckowski – a great pilot, member of the Home Army and a soldier in the Warsaw Uprising. Soon there were 15 Medical Aviation Teams set up, as well as the Central Medical Aviation Team in Warsaw. The teams were set up in a way that enabled them to operate around the whole country. The tasks of those teams were to transport the sick and hurt people, medicine, blood, vaccines and medical equipment. Additionally, medical consultants were being taken aboard, so they could carry out complicated medical operations in remote parts of the country. These teams were equipped with S-13 biplanes, which were created in Poland using a design based on CSS-13 airplanes, but modified to enable transfer of one patient in a lying position.

Later the teams started to use one-engine planes, such as Jak-12M, Jak-12A, PZL-101 Gawron and AN-2, as well as multi-engine planes, such as Super Aero 45, L-200 Morawa, Turbolet. In 1960s some teams also received helicopters type SM-1 and SM-2. In 1975, all of medical aviation started to use helicopters type Mi-2. The basic team operating these planes consisted of a pilot, a nurse or a feldsher, and – on helicopter teams – a mechanic. Later on, doctors from nearby hospitals would join the teams to attend to the patients in critical condition.