EMS Pilot Family Life Questions

[gotWXdagain]

I’ve honestly wondered if you could be more profitable with a B350 with 10 seats and a bed, a nurse, a medic, a set schedule to pick up/drop off, and a ground fleet in PHX to take people to the hospital and return them to the FBO.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Alright, lets get this forum going. Answers to these questions should work from either the FW or RW side, but I happen to be interested in the fixed wing path.


1) If you don't mind putting this info out there, what is your family situation as far as married, kids, does your spouse work?

Married, stepkids. Wife works.

2) What is your schedule, ie. 7 on/7 off, 12 hours, rotating night/days?

7 days on, 7 days off. 12 hour shifts. One week night (6PM-6AM), next week will be days.

3) If your spouse works, is it full time? How do you guys work out taking kids to school and what not with your 12 hour (or other type) shifts?

Schoolbus.


4) Do you think EMS can be compatible with younger kids or newborns if your spouse also works?

More so than a reserve line on a regional or LCC, anyway.

5) How long does it take to get an EMS job somewhere that you'd actually want to live?

I had to wait 1 year before the base I wanted had a vacancy.

6) Did any of you have kids while you were building experience for EMS? How difficult was that and would you say it's something you just figured out or advise against?

It might be difficult.





In case anyone is wondering where these questions are coming from:

• Age 31, no kids yet but possibly in the next few years.
• I'm still at an 8-5 office job that I don't really care about and never will, yet still undecided (or afraid) about changing careers. I'm not sure how much an EMS salary with a 401k would offset bailing on my government pension this late in the game. I've built up a little time and done a BFR during my indecision but it's still a damn scary prospect to jump off from the stable and known. I just don't want to do anything stupid so I'm trying to get all the info I can.
• Spouse = RN, 3x seemingly random 12 hour shifts/week.
• Interested in EMS for the 7 on/7 off schedule, being home at some point most days, and jets/airlines don't really do anything for me.

Thanks for any of your responses.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Daily? I used to do 2 or 3 trips some nights...The flight volume off the rez is insane

And the amount we get paid barely pays for the gas, really. The fastest route to a closed base at my company is to do all res flights.

 

[A150K]

And the amount we get paid barely pays for the gas, really. The fastest route to a closed base at my company is to do all res flights.

I'm interested to see what happens to my old shop's rez bases as staffing becomes more and more of an issue...

 

[Akutan]

I'm interested to see what happens to my old shop's rez bases as staffing becomes more and more of an issue...

I can't really believe the number of job postings lately at AMRG.

 

[NickH]

I can't really believe the number of job postings lately at AMRG.

Apparently most applications are being received from retired airline guys who aren't prepared for life on the reservation, single pilot, night, IFR, and lack the ability to dodge airport fixtures.

 

[ppragman]

Apparently most applications are being received from retired airline guys who aren't prepared for life on the reservation, single pilot, night, IFR, and lack the ability to dodge airport fixtures.

Taxi-light shmaxi-light.

 

[gotWXdagain]

It’s always a good day when you walk by a PT6 resting on a bunch of old tires on the hangar floor.

That being said, pay was raised (though still slightly on the low side IMO), the rez and GUP are all 14/14, and we have quite a few people coming through the training pipeline. There may be light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[A150K]

14/14 as the normal schedule will attract some. I liked the schedule and living in ABQ, the commute twice a month to GUP was easy. Now granted, when I worked 14/14 on the old pay scale, I only made a bit more than I currently make as a first year regional FO...so hopefully the new numbers are a HUGE improvement over what I was pulling in.

 

[Akutan]

Apparently most applications are being received from retired airline guys who aren't prepared for life on the reservation, single pilot, night, IFR, and lack the ability to dodge airport fixtures.

I don't work for AMRG, but we are having a very difficult time finding people too and many applicants fit that exact profile. Of course you can compound the secular staffing problems with the insatiable desire of our Execs to grow the business at exactly the wrong time with regard to the backdrop in HR.

 

[NickH]

I don't work for AMRG, but we are having a very difficult time finding people too and many applicants fit that exact profile. Of course you can compound the secular staffing problems with the insatiable desire of our Execs to grow the business at exactly the wrong time with regard to the backdrop in HR.

It's common at my current company too. It's the single biggest problem we're facing, and the retired guys are a stop gap measure that it forcing others away.

 

[z987k]

It's common at my current company too. It's the single biggest problem we're facing, and the retired guys are a stop gap measure that it forcing others away.

I don't think there is a more dangerous pilot than a 66yr old airline pilot.

 

[Itchy]

I don't think there is a more dangerous pilot than a 66yr old airline pilot.

True. Taking a guy who flew in a crew enviroment for 30 years, and getting them single pilot 135 IFR ready in a turboprop is a daunting task. I used to do it, (the training) and the success rate (given time restraints) was not much over 50%.

 

[NickH]

I don't think there is a more dangerous pilot than a 66yr old airline pilot.

I'll take a 300 hour wet commercial ticket over a retired airline guy.

 

[z987k]

True. Taking a guy who flew in a crew enviroment for 30 years, and getting them single pilot 135 IFR ready in a turboprop is a daunting task. I used to do it, (the training) and the success rate (given time restraints) was not much over 50%.

Even in a crew. If it's not the airplane they last flew it's going to be a problem ime.

 

[z987k]

I'll take a 300 hour wet commercial ticket over a retired airline guy.

As would I.

 

[A150K]

I don't think there is a more dangerous pilot than a 66yr old airline pilot.

Meh...for most single pilot ops I'd tend to agree. That being said, I've seen an exception or two out there.

 

[USMCmech]

I'll take a 300 hour wet commercial ticket over a retired airline guy.

"But, but, ....
I flew 747s for Delta, and B-52s in the USAF, retired as an O-6. I've probably forgotten more about aviation than you know"

"So what you're telling me is that you've never flown a prop airplane in your life, and you haven't flown solo in over 30 years."

Almost an exact quote from a conversation I had with a "high time airline pilot".

 

[Roger Roger]

Even in a crew. If it's not the airplane they last flew it's going to be a problem ime.

Biggest problem for old guys is that flying single pilot there’s not another guy next to them to wake them up at top of descent.

 

[Akutan]

14/14 as the normal schedule will attract some. I liked the schedule and living in ABQ, the commute twice a month to GUP was easy. Now granted, when I worked 14/14 on the old pay scale, I only made a bit more than I currently make as a first year regional FO...so hopefully the new numbers are a HUGE improvement over what I was pulling in.

14/14 seems to be about $80k at your old company now, but they try and hire 14/7 in metro areas.