OldManReverend

Lately I've been fancying the idea of working for an air ambulance. I've got 1350 TT 650 multi, 135 mins. Anybody know where to even start looking? Things to look for, places NOT to go, non-typed pilots ok... etc. ANY info is appreciated! I feel pretty clueless on this matter.

SIUav8er

Start here to find the operators in your area:

Search Air Ambulance Operators

... then start sending out resumes! i did the air ambulance thing for a bout a year (flying a Citation II). It was a good gig, I really enjoyed it while it lasted.

Spoilers

Most Air Ambulance operators that I know of or my friends fly for all operate single pilot. PC-12, Cheyenne, King Air. They all require at least 1500 PIC Time. I'm sure there are some operators that operate with 2 crews, depending on the operation and aircraft of course.

PiperPilot03

I'm in the same boat as OldManReverend. Does anyone out there know anything about AeroCare, having one of their operations at Aurora, IL? Primarily, are they a single pilot operation?

I also have a more industry general question. I'm assuming there is a lot of on-call time. How long is your on-call time? Do your on-call periods change week to week or is it pretty stable? Generally, how much notice do you get with a flight?

FlyJSH

The only time I heard of multi pilot crews were when the aircraft type required two crew members.

It is almost all on call. Either 12 or 24 hour on call periods. Response times (time from the call to engine start or wheels up) vary from 3 minutes (you will be sitting at the airport with the aircraft preflighted) to about an hour (can be at home).

Most of the single pilot and CA schedules I worked or heard of were 7/7, 14/7, and 20/10 (days on/days off). For FOs, could be the same as CA or virtually every day (you got your 24 hours off in some hotel somewhere). If the company has about two times as many CAs as FOs, expect to be abused.

The company I worked for:

Helicopter guys were 12 hours, 7/7. They were in an "apartment" (RV trailer or office with an adjoining quiet room) within 100 yards of the aircraft. They had 3 minutes to be airborne.

Fixed wing was 24 hours, 20/10. Of the 20 days on, I flew about half of those with most duty periods around 4-6 hours. Our call out time was 20 minutes to be at the airport, 45 minutes to be airborne. Built about 200 hours per year. Fixed wing requirements were 2000TT 500ME to fly a 421 (seems about standard). Prior single pilot, 135, and 400 series experience was a HUGE plus. Lear times were 5000TT with 1000 in type for CA, FO was similar to the 421 times.

ce650

I flew air ambulance in a citation II for a while . You were on call 24/7 unless you put yourself out on the "bigboard" had to be 30 min from the airport ready to go. PM me and I can give you contact info. I dont think they are looking for anyone and I dont think you have the mins either.

flyguy820

I have been looking into air ambulances for a while now and it seems like a good operator will work you 12 hr on then 12 hr off and 7 days on 7 off. They really like to see single pilot/PIC time and about 5000tt and 3000 multi turbine(I just talked with a chief pilot the other day). This was a very good company flying a Lear Conquest and King Air. I'm sure there are other operators with lower requirements though.

SIUav8er

Each company is unique! Many of them are simply "regular" 135 charter outfits who also run one plane with a sled. Some are exclusively air ambulance some are not, some have good schedules, some do not, some fly Lear Jets, some fly Cessna 402's... saying what "most" companies do is pretty broad generalization, isnt it? Dont understand all the broad generalizations here! lol

fly4usd

Howdy y'all

This thread is a good opportunity to say 'hi' and introduce myself.
I fly FW air ambulance for more than 10 years worldwide, so maybe I'll share my $.02:

EMS flying is no-nonsense, no-frill business. 90% of your flight time will be at night, in lousy weather (that's the time when they need you) and with plenty of the UN-expected:

• I've had to load a 400lbs patient on a door because stretcher was bending too much and the hospital hadn't a strecher big enough. Well, we had to duct-tape this poor guy onto the door to load him;
• some aircraft don't have a cargo door or a loading system for the sled (aka stretcher). So you need EVERY hands-on you can get at 3AM. Your cute flight paramedics ain't strong enough to get a 320lbs gozilla through the door and the mechanic locked away the key to the forklift.
• You patient unexpectedly wakes up (because meds wearing off), gets up, knocks down the flight medics and tries to open the door because he needs to get back to his trailer (double-wide). He forgot getting his dog inside.
• buy me a beer and I'll entertain you for the next 48 hours with stories

Most operator will fly 'single pilot' with 2 flight nurses/paramedics in King Airs (90 and/or 200). In average your pay is $100/flight-hour and $50/80 per diem if you are out-of-town. Most operators will offer a base salary (normally $1000/week with 10 hrs of flying), in a good month (spring break and summer-time with lots of drunks, over-dosed and freeway lunatics) you'll fly 60-80 hours/month. The rest of the year is about 20-40 hours/month.
You will be on call. You have 45 min to 1 hour to get to the aircraft AND get all horses out of the barn (flight plan, clearance, pre-flight, chocks, ...). Remember:

1. you do this all by yourself!
2. At night! (FBO (if any) is closed, Twr is clsd, ...)

You typical load will be: 1 patient, 2 nurses, eventually a passenger (parent, when flying kid as patient) and ~200 lbs of medical gear.

So, now let's talk airplane: Most FW air ambulance provider run 401, 421 and King Airs. Well it doesn't make your night to get the above mentioned payload into a 421. IT JUST DOESN'T FIT and if it does, your tires will go flat. You are on these flights under critical W&B!!

Oh, did I mention that it will rain (eventually snow) and the weather will be lousy the least. Your flight is around 1 hour to 2 hours, depending on the trauma center you'll go and arrangements have been made. Peer pressure is immense (have-to-go-syndrome) from ALL participants in this gig!

Well, I am sure most of you get the picture by now: It is not that glamorous as it looks on TV

Well, now a few lines to your qualification:

you need to be nuts!
you need extraordinary judgment (comes with being nuts)
+ 2000TT
+ 200 turbine (King Air)
ATP
first class
special training part 135 for air ambulance

Jet operation is pretty much similar (just higher and narrower)

Most of your TT and certificates is dictated by INSURANCE! Also, if your operator is 135 single-pilot, you can't log any SIC time as long as you have NON-crew-members on your flight. It's a complex topic and a thread by itself.

Well, actually I just wanted to introduce myself:
Hi - Cheerio

usmc-sgt

Great first post, very informative. Welcome to APC, we could use your input.