Bye bye Medevac

[Itchy]

I too am done with medivac.
Got sick of being away from home (had to commute to base) and super sick of the night shift. As far as I am concerned, it’s a younger persons game.
Unless I can find part time work like keeping a seat warm in something that burns jet fuel, I will be hanging up the headset. One more 7 day hitch left…

 

[Roger Roger]

I too am done with medivac.
Got sick of being away from home (had to commute to base) and super sick of the night shift. As far as I am concerned, it’s a younger persons game.
Unless I can find part time work like keeping a seat warm in something that burns jet fuel, I will be hanging up the headset. One more 7 day hitch left…

Thanks for putting in the work. I know on a night to night basis it can be hard when you get consecutive BS calls or you have a med crew that’s just cranky or the company sticks you with a half broke airplane again, but to me it was still rewarding. I know there are patients and med crews out there who are forever grateful for your professionalism and work ethic.

I really really loved the flying, the airplane, and the base. I looked at the long game and decided that I didn’t want to be 60+ working 2 weeks of nights, doing my own dispatch, fuel, ramp, deice etc, and moving 121 was only going to get harder as time passed. And to be blunt, the money just doesn’t even hold a candle to 121. But the other stuff is what really made the decision. I could have happily ridden my bike to the hangar and flown learjets with my friends for another 20+ years for a lot less money if there had been some path forward on those other things that as you say, make it a young man’s game. Also since the hospital system in the US has been in slow motion collapse since Covid, it’s a lot more work than it was when I signed up.

 

[ppragman]

I too am done with medivac.
Got sick of being away from home (had to commute to base) and super sick of the night shift. As far as I am concerned, it’s a younger persons game.
Unless I can find part time work like keeping a seat warm in something that burns jet fuel, I will be hanging up the headset. One more 7 day hitch left…

Congratulations! Happy to see someone leave on their own terms instead of the alternative!

 

[alaskadrifter]

Thanks for putting in the work. I know on a night to night basis it can be hard when you get consecutive BS calls or you have a med crew that’s just cranky or the company sticks you with a half broke airplane again, but to me it was still rewarding. I know there are patients and med crews out there who are forever grateful for your professionalism and work ethic.

I really really loved the flying, the airplane, and the base. I looked at the long game and decided that I didn’t want to be 60+ working 2 weeks of nights, doing my own dispatch, fuel, ramp, deice etc, and moving 121 was only going to get harder as time passed. And to be blunt, the money just doesn’t even hold a candle to 121. But the other stuff is what really made the decision. I could have happily ridden my bike to the hangar and flown learjets with my friends for another 20+ years for a lot less money if there had been some path forward on those other things that as you say, make it a young man’s game. Also since the hospital system in the US has been in slow motion collapse since Covid, it’s a lot more work than it was when I signed up.

I too am done with medivac.
Got sick of being away from home (had to commute to base) and super sick of the night shift. As far as I am concerned, it’s a younger persons game.
Unless I can find part time work like keeping a seat warm in something that burns jet fuel, I will be hanging up the headset. One more 7 day hitch left…

Not to mention the safety record of the medevac system as a whole appears to be slipping.

 

[Roger Roger]

Not to mention the safety record of the medevac system as a whole appears to be slipping.

How so? I mean I wouldn’t be surprised since the experienced folks haven’t been sticking around and everywhere has been much busier (yet somehow less profitable) since COVID but I haven’t really heard anything that indicates a big trend.

But yeah at the back of my mind the whole time too was that I’m way more likely to have a big deal thing over the next 27 years flying 135 than 121 with all its systems and safeguards in place to keep you on the straight and narrow.

 

[Itchy]

How so? I mean I wouldn’t be surprised since the experienced folks haven’t been sticking around and everywhere has been much busier (yet somehow less profitable) since COVID but I haven’t really heard anything that indicates a big trend.

But yeah at the back of my mind the whole time too was that I’m way more likely to have a big deal thing over the next 27 years flying 135 than 121 with all its systems and safeguards in place to keep you on the straight and narrow.

There is a lot of emphasis put on safety at our house. Sims twice a year, excellent maintenance, etc. However, two pilots at 3 am on an approach to mins in the snowy hills would make a difference in total safety. And two pilots is something that EMS flying rarely has.

 

[alaskadrifter]

How so? I mean I wouldn’t be surprised since the experienced folks haven’t been sticking around and everywhere has been much busier (yet somehow less profitable) since COVID but I haven’t really heard anything that indicates a big trend.

But yeah at the back of my mind the whole time too was that I’m way more likely to have a big deal thing over the next 27 years flying 135 than 121 with all its systems and safeguards in place to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Maybe I’m just noticing it more, but there have been a number of fatal accidents lately.

 

[Roger Roger]

Maybe I’m just noticing it more, but there have been a number of fatal accidents lately.

I guess you’re right, there have definitely been a few that have hit particularly close to home with the 3 GF accidents and the Medevac Alaska Navajo over the last 5 years or so. I never paid attention much to the fixed wing accidents before then and helos have always been fairly high so I guess I don’t know if it’s actually an increase or not.

 

[Roger Roger]

However, two pilots at 3 am on an approach to mins in the snowy hills would make a difference in total safety. And two pilots is something that EMS flying rarely has.

I’ve been 2 pilot since I left the pilatus a couple years ago but that’s definitely a consideration.

 

[ppragman]

Maybe I’m just noticing it more, but there have been a number of fatal accidents lately.

I think there's a "background radiation" of fatal medevac flying. Not to say that we cannot mitigate it, or make the industry safer, but at it's core it is still a relatively dangerous job.

We could actually do some interesting analysis and see if the yearly accident rate is increasing or not, I'd be willing to bet that it's probably not doing so by any significant margin, but I could be wrong. If anything, I bet it's gone down over the last few decades.

 

[///AMG]

I think there's a "background radiation" of fatal medevac flying. Not to say that we cannot mitigate it, or make the industry safer, but at it's core it is still a relatively dangerous job.

We could actually do some interesting analysis and see if the yearly accident rate is increasing or not, I'd be willing to bet that it's probably not doing so by any significant margin, but I could be wrong. If anything, I bet it's gone down over the last few decades.

Well like that B-206 accident MikeD posted, good lord, flying around in freezing rain at 1/2 mile viz. That is scary stuff.

 

[Roger Roger]

Well like that B-206 accident MikeD posted, good lord, flying around in freezing rain at 1/2 mile viz. That is scary stuff.

HEMS gonna HEMS

 

[alaskadrifter]

I think there's a "background radiation" of fatal medevac flying. Not to say that we cannot mitigate it, or make the industry safer, but at it's core it is still a relatively dangerous job.

We could actually do some interesting analysis and see if the yearly accident rate is increasing or not, I'd be willing to bet that it's probably not doing so by any significant margin, but I could be wrong. If anything, I bet it's gone down over the last few decades.

It certainly could be. I don’t have hard data to back it up, just what it looks like to me. Lots of medevac pilots (almost reluctantly) going to the airlines and taking their experience with them. I was by no means a highly experienced pilot when I left. However, they have had a hard time filling positions at my old base (with qualified/competent pilots) after I left and one of the other pilots went out on long term disability.

 

[ppragman]

It certainly could be. I don’t have hard data to back it up, just what it looks like to me. Lots of medevac pilots (almost reluctantly) going to the airlines and taking their experience with them. I was by no means a highly experienced pilot when I left. However, they have had a hard time filling positions at my old base (with qualified/competent pilots) after I left and one of the other pilots went out on long term disability.

So, a big realization for me when I got sick: "aviation will be fine without me."

These companies always modify their operational tempo and pace as things get dicey. They're fine when the experienced guys move on - they don't make as much money, the reliability of service goes down, and occasionally terrible pilots make it through training and crash, but usually, things are fine. There are so many companies that are just reg-busting unsafe dumpster fires, and as the old timers who made it work retire the net result is actually "better" in the long run, because they're physically unable to push as hard. At least, that's what I think. I don't know - I could be (and am willing to be) wrong on this.

Still, I like graphs a lot, so, if we draw some graphs here:

A preliminary look at fixed wing medevac lets me make this graph:

it's not exactly "super scientific" or whatever, but this is all the fixed wing accidents that pinged the key word "air ambulance." This is a little misleading though, because when I actually look at the raw data, I see a 172 flight school accident which (for whatever reason) lit up "air ambulance."

If I just filter the NSTB database by 135 operations, and see all the accidents under 135, I think things are actually pretty promising:

And, given we both live up here, I'm kind of encouraged by this chart as well:

Obviously, helicopters are a different ballgame, but... if I just look at helicopter accidents under 135:

WILD CONJECTURE FOLLOWS:

I'm not an economist - but I think 2008 paradoxically played a big role in reducing accidents in 135. I imagine when companies are going under, it's harder to afford your helicopter charter, but in Alaska the fixed wing 135s didn't see a lot of actual change (the mail still has to fly) so the accident rate stayed higher - but that's entirely conjecture on my part.

Finally, it's also worth noting that the accident rate has actually been higher in Alaska when I personally lived and flew there, then appears to level out after I got out of the industry. I'd like to think that I was so ridiculously bushy and rough around the edges that I single-handedly made it less safe to fly up here. Now that I'm out, you guys are welcome.

 

[ppragman]

Side note slightly unrelated to medevac... look at this:

Things have gotten immeasurably better

 

[tlove482]

Thanks! Bittersweet is a great way to put it. Being part of a tight knit base with not a lot of turnover on the medical side it really does feel like leaving a family. It was truly an honor to have the implicit trust of the medical crews and to transport patients (on several occasions including our friends and neighbors) for the last 6 years. Though there were certainly warts, mostly related to the 135 operator I worked for at this program, I can honestly say that at the end I was still truly happy to go back to work after a stint of days off and regardless of what time of night the pager went off or how crappy the weather was I was a little excited to go hop in the plane.

I'm not sure how yall did it in Alaska, but get ready to fly full routes. I had to get use to it when I left medevac.

 

[Roger Roger]

I'm not sure how yall did it in Alaska, but get ready to fly full routes. I had to get use to it when I left medevac.

“Through 7000 cleared direct Victoria/YESKA/ELLAM”

 

[alaskadrifter]

So, a big realization for me when I got sick: "aviation will be fine without me."

These companies always modify their operational tempo and pace as things get dicey. They're fine when the experienced guys move on - they don't make as much money, the reliability of service goes down, and occasionally terrible pilots make it through training and crash, but usually, things are fine. There are so many companies that are just reg-busting unsafe dumpster fires, and as the old timers who made it work retire the net result is actually "better" in the long run, because they're physically unable to push as hard. At least, that's what I think. I don't know - I could be (and am willing to be) wrong on this.

Still, I like graphs a lot, so, if we draw some graphs here:

A preliminary look at fixed wing medevac lets me make this graph:

View attachment 76175
it's not exactly "super scientific" or whatever, but this is all the fixed wing accidents that pinged the key word "air ambulance." This is a little misleading though, because when I actually look at the raw data, I see a 172 flight school accident which (for whatever reason) lit up "air ambulance."

If I just filter the NSTB database by 135 operations, and see all the accidents under 135, I think things are actually pretty promising:


View attachment 76176
And, given we both live up here, I'm kind of encouraged by this chart as well:


View attachment 76177
Obviously, helicopters are a different ballgame, but... if I just look at helicopter accidents under 135:

View attachment 76178

WILD CONJECTURE FOLLOWS:

I'm not an economist - but I think 2008 paradoxically played a big role in reducing accidents in 135. I imagine when companies are going under, it's harder to afford your helicopter charter, but in Alaska the fixed wing 135s didn't see a lot of actual change (the mail still has to fly) so the accident rate stayed higher - but that's entirely conjecture on my part.

Finally, it's also worth noting that the accident rate has actually been higher in Alaska when I personally lived and flew there, then appears to level out after I got out of the industry. I'd like to think that I was so ridiculously bushy and rough around the edges that I single-handedly made it less safe to fly up here. Now that I'm out, you guys are welcome.

Yah, I definitely wasn’t trying to say that they were doomed without me . Just an observation on a changing landscape. The service where I was at has been reduced to one 12hr pilot shift a day, instead of two. Aside from another black swan event, the majors will continue to suck up pilots, with relatively low experienced pilots to fill their shoes. Hopefully your graphs continue their trend, as I think new Alaskan pilots will be less likely to cowboy up like the previous generation did.

Side note slightly unrelated to medevac... look at this:


View attachment 76179
Things have gotten immeasurably better

View attachment 76180

I think you’ve shown that it has in fact gotten measurably better.

 

[Roger Roger]

The wild card to all this is as I said before, the post-Covid health care system collapse, which for a variety of reasons has disproportionately hit already-struggling rural health care (exactly the places that tend to use air ambulance services) I don’t have exact numbers but our program was seeing something like 3x their projections the last 2 years. Accidents per hour could keep going down but with so much more flying happening I’ll be shocked if we don’t see an increase and total accidents.

 

[Roger Roger]

In spite of everything I have OE trips starting 2/2.