Samaritan to Retire Dauphin in Final Flyover
Parkview Samaritan's Dauphin helicopter, in service for more than 37 years, will make its last flight with a ceremonial flyover on Friday.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Air Travel
Parkview Samaritan will retire the Dauphin, a helicopter that has served for more than 37 years and transported more than 36,000 patients, with a final ceremonial flyover on Friday. The flight will be flown alongside the organization's two newly added Leonardo aircraft.
Why it matters
The retirement marks the end of a long-serving aircraft in Parkview's fleet as the organization transitions to newer helicopters. The event recognizes decades of patient transport and the crews who operated the Dauphin in the Fort Wayne area.
The Dauphin has transported more than 36,000 patients and logged about 22,000 flight hours over more than 37 years of service. Parkview Samaritan has added two Leonardo aircraft to its fleet, and the source does not describe what will happen to the retired Dauphin.
The players
Parkview Samaritan
Parkview Samaritan is the air medical transport service operated by Parkview Health, serving patients across northeastern Indiana.
The details
The final flight will take the Dauphin over Parkview Hospital Randallia off East State Boulevard and Parkview Regional Medical Center northeast of the Dupont Road and Interstate 69 intersection before ending at the Samaritan hangar at Auburn-DeKalb Executive Airport. Attendees will have the opportunity to look inside all three aircraft, and refreshments will be provided at a gathering at the DeKalb Airport hangar where crew members, colleagues, community partners and supporters will gather. Parkview Chaplaincy will offer a blessing on the Leonardo AW169 helicopters.
Timeline
Friday: Final ceremonial flyover and retirement of the Dauphin, followed by a gathering at the DeKalb Airport hangar.
Fleet Transition
The retirement of the Dauphin alongside the addition of two Leonardo AW169 helicopters marks a generational upgrade in Parkview Samaritan's air medical fleet. The move replaces a nearly 40-year-old aircraft with newer models in the same mission.
Residents near the flyover route over Fort Wayne hospitals may see the aircraft pass overhead on Friday. Attendees wishing to see the aircraft up close can attend the gathering at the DeKalb Airport hangar.
The takeaway
The retirement of a long-serving air ambulance shows how regional medical transport fleets evolve over time, with newer aircraft taking on the same lifesaving work. Following fleet changes like this one offers insight into how hospitals keep emergency air services current.
Further reading
For more on aircraft operations in the region, see Air Travel coverage.
