Originally Posted by Phaques

I'm not sure where this thread belongs, so please move this if appropriate...

I'm looking at a couple of Air Methods jobs, and some of them are for their "Pilot Pool". Does anybody here have any info on exactly what that means, or how the pilot pool operates?

Also, any comments on working for AM in general would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by jergar999

I worked for Air Methods for over twenty years in multiple locations. I have been based in South Dakota, Denver, and Grand Junction, CO and covered all over as a national relief pilot. Very early on in my pilot career I got divorced and the week on/week off schedule and being home based were the only way I could keep child custody and stay active in my kids lives while continuing to fly for a living.

The pool pilots are usually assigned to a single base and the company covers travel to and from your home to the base and housing while on shift. The base pay is just under six figures for a new hire, with all of the extras and overtime most folks are in the 125-150 range for the first few years. Many of the bases and/or positions also include a stipend (mine was 40k/year) or cost of living adjustment. Bear in mind that any stipend or market based incentive isn't contractual and may be stopped once they can fill positions. Cost of living adjustments are part of the union contract.

Overall it was a decent job and I had no major issues with Air Methods. Feel free to PM or respond with any specific questions.

Originally Posted by Sky5

Thanks jergar, I'm being considered for this position. This is good information.

Originally Posted by NatGeo

Would avoid these air ambulance operators if possible. Not a fan of their contributions, or should I say lack of contributions to the industry.

Originally Posted by NatGeo

Would avoid these air ambulance operators if possible. Not a fan of their contributions, or should I say lack of contributions to the industry.

Originally Posted by kv8r

Hi Jergar,

Looking for a little more info on Air Methods Pilot Pool positions….

Q: Do they travel you on off days or first and last day of rotation?
A: You travel before and after your shift. I was not a float pilot, but I recall that you are on the clock on travel days. That extra pay is sort of like overtime.

Q: Without overtime what would you estimate pay to be?
A: Totally base dependent. There are some places people don't want to work, so they add extra cash (Like the old joke about tying a bone around your kid's neck to get the dog to play with him). Again, I wasn't a float pilot but they paid an extra $15k/year for the base I was at. I think they use the term "area modifier"

What “extras” are there in the pay besides overtime and how are they calculated?
Sign on bonus was $15k if I recall. There's a retention bonus. You get a bonus for referring other pilots. It's been a hot minute but I recall they paid an extra $4k/year if you have an instrument rating (AM is a helicopter company with a few airplanes. Just quietly nod and take the money). Likewise, they add a few bucks to your paycheck if you have an ATP. If you don't have your ATP you can get a single engine ATP in the sim. You do your own written test (ATP/CTP doesn't apply to single engine aircraft). It was suggested to me to wait until a recurrent sim session to do the ATP "ride". Looking back, I agree. There are a few other add ons but they don't amount to much.

Q: Is it always 7/7 ?
A: Sadly, yes. At the base I was at there were some of us who wanted to switch to 14/14. Our area manager was initially willing to support the idea but it was denied by upper management. You didn't ask, but the first half of your shift is generally days, then you switch to nights for the last half. One place management did not interfere was that some pilots preferred the night shift and would offer to switch, so you were either straight day or straight night.

Q: How much did you typically fly per rotation?
A: That is also going to be highly dependent on where you are based. One of our float pilots was from the SW and said he hardly ever flew down there. The YKM base referred to above had 2-4 planes, and at least 1 to 2 were always moving. You're really on salary so an air ambulance gig isn't about chasing hours. It pays well enough that you can own a plane and do whatever the hell you want on your time off.

My cell is 720-434-9227

Thank you !

K