Air Ambulance Flying

VA_av8r

VA_av8r

Well-Known Member
I've recently discovered that I would love to work for an air ambulance outfit. I find something gratifying with the thought that I could be helping people while at the same time doing what I love to do.

For all you air ambulance pilots out there, I wanted to ask how you got into it? Where did you start? Most places I've seen in my travels seem to use Pilatuses, King Airs and Lears, did you guys already have time and type ratings in these a/c or is it something that your company would train you for? Is it all part 135 or 91? Thx.
 
It's just like any other flying job. You need the proper aircraft experience before a company at you.

I started out flying air ambulance in a Cessna C421 with having 1000 hours of Beech Baron time going into it. I later moved on to flying air ambulance in a King Air after having several years experience in the C421.

Now I'm flying passenger charter in the King Air and I miss flying air ambulance. With air ambulance, you don't have to suck up to anyone and most of the time the med crew is cool to fly with. The extra karma points you get from helping people is a nice perk too.
 
I worked for a VIP passenger outfit for a while... aside from the charters we would do air ambulance and transplant work - was good fun much better than the usual runs...

In terms of experience at least part 135.. however I think the medical contracts at our gig had higher mins than some of the regular passenger stuff..

As there was only myself and a couple of other Captains that could operate them
 
Air ambulance can be a great job or it can be a horrible job, it all depends on the operator and even the good ones can have their ups and downs in "greatness".

The air ambulance side of things seems to be a little different than the rest of the aviation world. I don't see a whole lot of demand for time in type and such, more or less just total time and turbine time, some places may want time in type for direct entry Captains, but IMO, direct entry Captain into air ambulance (without prior air ambulance experience) is the hardest thing in aviation to do.

The one thing you need to keep in check is it is your job to move the airplane safely, PERIOD. While it is nice to know you have helped someone, all you are doing is driving the airplane, the med crew is doing all the real work.
 
Can't really add anything other than a "good luck" I work for Life Air Rescue here in Shreveport and I love it. I am a paramedic and have been flying with them for about 4 years now. Our bird is a EC 135.

I'm not sure how competative getting a pilot spot is on a fixed wing, but to come to a helicopter medivac position is pretty tight.

I will say this, of all of the flight crews I've met over the years, each of them are the most professional, down to earth, dedicated people I've ever had the pleasure knowing. I hope you land a gig on a air ambulance program. It is rewarding.

Try looking at: flightweb.com and learn about the Commision on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems "Camts" @ www.camts.org

Oh, and before I forget, the EMS conference's and after parties are, CHOICE!!:rawk:
 
I would say its just like any other part 135 charter outfit. Other than helping load and unload the patient, theres really nothing different. You get direct pretty uch anywhere as a lifeguard, which is nice. I seem to fly a lot more at night than my last charter job.

I would say its much more rewarding than regular charter. I feel like Im doing something more important than just hauling rich people around.
 
400A said:
Air ambulance can be a great job or it can be a horrible job, it all depends on the operator and even the good ones can have their ups and downs in "greatness".

The one thing you need to keep in check is it is your job to move the airplane safely, PERIOD. While it is nice to know you have helped someone, all you are doing is driving the airplane, the med crew is doing all the real work.
Click to expand...

400A hit the points above right on the money.

I fly for a 135 charter company in FL; the majority of our work is air ambulance/medical work/organ procurement. We fly five citations and a cirrus that take varying roles in what we do.

I worked on the line during college at the company I still work for. I later instructed, then flew cargo for a blood donation company with a Caravan that is managed through my current company. I was able to get a handful of hours flying Citations during some of our part 91 work (some of our aircraft are leased back) and then was sent to Simcom for insurance purposes and an SIC type rating.

The schedule can be interesting. I'm in my own bed most every night (or day) but we are on-call a lot. For contract pilot work, too many pilots and you don't make a lot of money; too few pilots and you're flying a bunch, hopefully not too much. It's an interesting balance.

PM me if you want more info.
 
I got to do it a little because my 135 charter company had a contract with one of the air ambulance companies to provide the service using our Lear 25s. Basically the FO's roated between traditional charter and air ambulance every few months.
I loved doing it for several reasons:

1) I liked flying the Lear 25s more than the 35s or 55s we had.
2) I felt like I was putting my certificates to a better use.
3) The schedule we had for air ambulance guys was better than charter.
4) The captains I flew with were cool as hell, some of the flight nurses were awesome too.
5) Most flights were quick - you didn't sit in a cockpit for 4 hours, you were always busy.
6) Our management was a bunch of dicks, and the air ambulance operated away from the main hanger so I didn't have to deal with em. :buck:
7) LifeGuard status is nice to cut through ATC BS. Even though it didn't ALWAYS work.



The place I worked at at the time trained us on Lear 35s, and then did differences training on the 55s and 25s. Plus we did a bit extra with the 25 on things such as training patient loading/unloading, etc.

What I didn't like was:

1) Some EXTREMELY bitchy flight nurses that were rather scared of flying IMO.
2) Erratic flight times, some months I flew less than 10 hours, some months were between 30-40 - some days/weeks you'd sit in the FBO all day for nothing.
3) Loading 300 pound pregnant ladies on a stretcher into the Lear. (not exaggerating!)
4) First time seeing trauma patients can be a bit shocking.

I'd love to do it again!
 
Because a 25 can barely fly for 3 hrs much less 4. The only two problems with the 25 are: very squirrelly(sp?) and every time you crank an engine you can declare a fuel emergency.
 
JDP said:
Because a 25 can barely fly for 3 hrs much less 4. The only two problems with the 25 are: very squirrelly(sp?) and every time you crank an engine you can declare a fuel emergency.
Click to expand...

Did the 25s have the old CJ-610 engines still, or drag chutes?
 
JDP said:
Because a 25 can barely fly for 3 hrs much less 4. The only two problems with the 25 are: very squirrelly(sp?) and every time you crank an engine you can declare a fuel emergency.
Click to expand...

Oh so true! Although I liked how squirrelly they were, I think I was made a better pilot for it. Even when we had to fly to a pretty remote town, we didn't need to be in the air very long to get the person to a major hospital. I think my longest flight ever in the 25 was 1.7 hours. Not exactly a time building plane. ;) But I had NO problem hand flying the 35 or 55 after 1 month in the 25.
 
I hoping for find a cushy KA job with an air ambulance gig. I've done it here in India and its not too bad, just like flying normal with the good chance of priority with ATC. You can get some very well paying jobs in the states doing this type of flying.

=Jason-
 
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