Most people do not know what an air ambulance is until they need one. Yet when a patient or a loved one cannot fly on a commercial aircraft, they will be pleased to find that there are air ambulance services within the United States and worldwide. These air ambulance units transport all kinds of patients on a daily basis- including patients who are in need of special and critical care. There are roughly ten flights a day being performed by air ambulance services within the United States . These air ambulances transport many patients to and from hospitals and care centers for a variety of reasons. The reason for an air medical transport might be that a patient simply wants to go home but cannot go in a commercial airplane. Moreover, a patient might need to be transferred to another hospital for a specialized treatment. Now it is important to realize that these transports are mostly not life! or death situations. Furthermore, these air ambulances are not helicopters, but private jets and planes that are equipped with a small version of what you might see in an intensive care unit of an ER. With a cross between an ICU(Intensive Care Unit) and a CCU(Coronary Care Unit) on board, these air ambulance services are able to help a wide range of patients. If you look inside of an air ambulance aircraft, you'll find a stretcher inside that is made out to look like a bed. A patient can lie down for the entire flight. These stretchers are approved by the FAA, and especially made to fit safely into a private aircraft. So even if you need air medical transportation for a patient who is simply bedridden- or in need of critical care, these air ambulance outfits can help you.