WHEELING — WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital introduced a brand-new medical helicopter to the fleet Monday afternoon — and the emphasis was on “brand-new.”

The new Airbus H135 helicopter that sat in the hospital parking lot Monday had just eight hours of flight time on its log, and still had that “new copter” smell. The $8.5 million aircraft represented WVU Medicine’s continued devotion to state-of-the-art health care in West Virginia, officials said. The helicopter also is an investment in shaving down minutes in a field — emergency medicine — where a few minutes can mean life or death.

The helicopter is a collaboration between HealthNet Aeromedical Services, WVU Medicine and Air Methods Corporation. It replaces the current Moundsville-based helicopter that will leave the HealthNet Fleet.

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