In line with Susan, I don't recall seeing choppers at Bethel. Their areomedical service is fixed-wing only. The chopper is actually Air Force out of Anchorage, which would be roughly 2 hours away.

That whole area is flat tundra - essentially a big swampy area in summer - and "snow-go's" are everywhere, hunting, fishing, etc during the year. 15 miles is nothing to these guys - we had a patient's family drive something like 6 hours by snow mobile to avoid the fee for a plane. They're hardcore Eskimo's up that way.