Calstar flying again in S. Lake Tahoe
Calstar is back in business after being grounded because of radio issues.
“All the radios and navigation equipment have been working fine after the repair by Airbus and we have completed several flights this week without any difficulty,” Bryan Pond with the air ambulance company told Lake Tahoe News.
The Airbus H135/P3 based out of Lake Tahoe Airport was taken out of service in mid-August because the radio frequency was not working properly. This became a safety issue.
CareFlight filled in for the local air ambulance in the interim.
— Lake Tahoe News staff report
Are CareFlight and CalStar reciprocal again in coverage?
No.
Per the previous story: “One thing to note is that when Calstar was bought last year the reciprocal membership agreement with Care Flight went away. This means it’s a good idea to have both memberships because one never knows which helicopter will arrive on scene. The membership is like an additional insurance policy.”
LTN staff
What is the regulatory agency for Air Ambulance Services for coverage issues? Before the merger, those of us insured by CalStar had great coverage to cover emergencies needing air ambulance service. We should not be required to pay for 2 insurance policies to cover us for what we had under one policy. Before the merger was allowed, continued level of coverage should have been addressed. What agency can we contact to have this investigated?