Air Ambulance career feedback
 

I think I pretty much know what to expect but really looking for some feedback if anyone has some experiences they'd like to share...good and bad

Thanks

Did it for 8 months. It was fun flying but the work is hard. Long hours and always gone. On call for two weeks and off one. Was always flying on my two weeks on call. Barely had a social life. Management generally abuses and uses you. Planes typically have a good amount of maintenance issues. I flew 750 hours in 8 months being there. I hear most air ambulance companies don't fly too much.

air ambulance jobs vary greatly. I have had 3 different ones. The majority of fixed wing air ambulance is king airs or similar aircraft in remote smaller cities working 15-20 days a month on call. Some let you sit at home while others require you to sit at the airport. Most do 12 hour shifts while some still pull off the 24 hr on call bs. Most don't fly a ton compared to other flying jobs. 300-400 hours a year is common. Some bases last for years and some come and go. If you are a low time pilot looking for the airlines I would generally say stay away from air ambulance. If you want to be home a lot and can find the right city to live in it can be great

I have flown for two air ambulance companies. I have never flown more than 250 hour per year. Both were companies that respected the employees. One was in a 421, the other a KA200.

I currently work in Houston flying a KA200.

Formerly, my schedule was 20 days on, 10 days off, on call 24 hours (had to live within and be at the airport within 20 minutes, could refuse flights for fatigue but rarely needed to). Of those 20 days, I flew about 10-12 days, typically on duty for about 6 hours. Current regs seem to be shutting this type of operation down.

Now I do 7 days on, 7 off, 12 hours on (extendable to 14 if needed), 12 off (10 off if needed). Home about 90 percent of my rest periods (other guys higher: I am a poop magnet). I generally do 85-90 hours of duty in the week I am on. The company provides beds at the hanger, and sometimes I get to nap (mostly on the day shift between 7 and 10 am).

It is NOT a job that will lead to a mainline job(unless you have connections). It CAN BE a very nice job that pays reasonably well (around 60k for a KA initially, I am a bit above that). You will be home most nights, and it could lead to a good corporate gig.

I am the only guy at my base that has airline experience. When I flew the Saab doing stand ups, it was a good gig, but when I had to commute to Minneapolis, life sucked. 7 days in a row is tough for me at 50, but still better than the airlines.

Bases can come and go. If you go this route, ask them and do research to determine how often they open bad bases. Both of my companies did good research and almost never opened a base that was not viable. Mom and Pop companies are going to be hard pressed to comply with new regs and are more likely to abuse pilots: if you choose this path, go with a big company.

Hope that helps, and good luck,
J

P.S. CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems, accreditation that good companies strive for) requires an ATP. With the new regs, ATPs going air ambulance may be harder to find. It is POSSIBLE that wages could come up in the future.

I've been doing air ambulance for the past 9 months. Overall, it's a very good job. The company I am with has deep pockets and a stronghold on the market where I am(Hawaii), so for an aviation job it is very secure.

We run two pilot crews on our aircraft. The Captains are on an 8 on 6 off schedule and start at $76K and FO's are on a 10 on 5 off schedule and start at $55K. Most of our captains will clear just south of $100K through working extra shifts and most F0's around $65K. We stay at a crew house for our 12 hour shifts (extendable to 14 hours) that is close to the hospital we service most from our base. The company likes the 10 minute response by the med crews because that's what the hospital notices.

We fly King Air C90's with great maintenance and relatively low time.
It is very rewarding flying, one of the few flying jobs that make you feel as though you are directly impacting another's life.

That said I am leaving next month to go to the airlines. I thought I would be ok with only flying 250 hours a year. Turns out I'm not. I got hired here with around 2300 hours and thought I had hit the jackpot. If I knew 9 months ago what I know now I would have just went straight to the airlines. It hasn't built my resume enough and will take to long to do so. I recommend having a strong resume then going to air ambulance otherwise your career will stagnate.

Are you going to Hawaiian by chance?
Man I loved flying Medevac. I flew for two companies where I got to be at home on call for 12 hour shifts. I made good money (73,000) and considered it very rewarding. I left to go fly for a large 135 Jet charter company and hated it! All I wanted was to get back into awesome turboprops and habe a great lifestyle again.
I eventually made it to a part 91 turboprop job which I love.

Moral of the story, if REAL QOL is a priority, if you want to have money, buy a house and be home every night, be treated well....why consider anything else?

Growing up all I wanted was to fly 777s and A330s. Now all I want to do is see my kids grow up and be there for them while still flying cool planes.

This is the kind of flying I would like to do. I know some of the Air Ambulance services are looking for 135 mins. Does that hold true when they hire FO's or do they typically want more turbine time, ME, or a type rating with time on type? Will they pay for a type rating if its necessary?

Big company, deep pockets, and market share: absolute must haves to survive. Mom and pops are getting regulated away.

Our CA pay broken down per day is within about 5% of yours, but we fly 26 fewer days in a year so our base pay is less (some guys pick up extra flying, I rarely do). Cost of living in TX, OK, and KS is much less than HI, so our standard of living is probably close..... but I get 7 days off rather than 6 ;)

I really don't see air ambulance as a path to a major. I'm sure there was "one guy", but realistically, no. In my experience, pilots either do a year and bail, or stick with it for life.




I have first hand knowledge of only one company that used SICs and only in aircraft requiring two pilots. That company would not pay for a rating and wanted time in type. SICs either bailed or hung around long enough to maybe go single pilot.

IF they pay for a type, I'll bet my paycheck there will be a training contract, so keep that in mind.

To maintain CAMTS accreditation, pilots must hold an ATP. Depending on where the 135.293 is done, you might be able to get the ATP during the ride (assuming you have everything else).



A note about CAMTS: there are about a dozen states that require companies to either be CAMTS accredited or a "demonstrated equivalent." Probably more states will follow suit.

No I'm not going to Hawaiian, they're not hiring, but maybe one day. I'm going to a regional here in Hawaii.

My company uses two pilots in the King Air C90. Our OPSPECS are not authorized for autopilot in lieu of a second in command. All of our flights are operated under 135 IFR so all the time is legitimately loggable.

I was hired as an FO with 2300 TT and 50 ME. They prefer 100 ME but I also had 2000 turbine.

I would hold off from flying air ambulance until you get a decent amount of PIC time, 1000 hours. Try to go in with as much ME time as you can as well. If you want to fly for a reputable air ambulance operator most are CAMTS certified which requires 2000TT 1000 PIC and 500 ME with an ATP in order to be captain. Doesn't sound like a lot but 250 hours a year drags on to reach those upgrade mins.

Contracts with hospitals may require CAMTS certification as well to transport their patients. Our major contract we have here requires it but the state does not.

Cost of living in Hawaii is double what is in those states you mentioned above. I grew up in Houston and went to college in Oklahoma. For pay to be on par with what you're earning a CA here would need to earn $120K annually here, and believe me we have several pilots pushing for that kind of pay.

I agree with your above statement about either loving it or hating it. I love it and hope to return to it later once I have a resume that is competitive and well rounded.

Good for yall for seeking 120. If you get it, we can argue for 80. Then you can argue for 140. Then we can argue for....

I know it is a dream, but what the heck :D

Welcome to the sweet life, aviation doesn't get much better. Good luck to you, and stay safe.

Remember, while we try to save one, we must keep ourselves and our crew alive. That patient's ticket is punched, we healthy folks need to go home safe.

To the OP and others considering this work....

Each of our bases has an account on Information - Weather Turndown. We want our pilots to know when a flight has been turned down and why.

As a fixed wing pilot, I note, but don't generally get too worried, when I see a rotor turn down a flight (rotor wx is much tighter than fixed). But a good company will tell you when a flight has been declined to help you make a judgement. When a fixed wing turns down a flight, I pay attention. Still, I may be able to fly if they had to fly across a line of thunderstorms, and I can skirt around.

I got three healthy, live souls who can try to help a patient. My first priority is do no harm: get those three home safely.

Sometimes competition is a bad thing. This industry used to be a zillion tiny companies that often pushed pilots. Now, with fewer, large companies, it is getting better. Safety is getting back to priority one.

I think that's a CAMTS requirement for the company comm center to relay any known turn downs. Hospitals don't always comply (the infamous "chopper shopping").

So who wants to discuss the possibility of perilous interactions with those in the back?

3 to go 1 to say no and it's done

Amen, Brother!

Great Feedback guys thanks for the info!
Gjn were you on TV...didn't they have a show about you guys in Hawaii??

No, it wasn't my company. The show followed Hawaii Air Ambulance which is now Hawaii Life Flight.

Ah! very good well you're still a star to me!

Flight nurse to pilot
 

I have been a rotor nurse for 6 years and a fixed wing nurse for 1 year. After 15 years in EMS and critical care, i'm ready to do something else. Ive thought of becoming a Dr and continue up the professional ladder. While sitting back looking at my options it occurred to me I could become a fixed wing medevac pilot. Ive always loved flying. I am familiar with the industry, the lifestyle ect. What suggestions or advice would you give for a career change such as this? Also, about how many years would it take to get my hours and certifications? Thanks

My guess would be 3-4 years. After you get your tickets, you’d have to instruct for awhile to ge the hours needed for 135. The FW EMS places seem to like freight pilots. Single pilot IFR in a twin (turbo prop would be a plus) is what they’re looking for.

I have been involved in medevac off and on, mostly on for 12 years. Still very rewarding to me.

I flew Medevac for 9 years, and quite enjoyed it. Hope to go back to it in 6 months or so.

I've flown air ambulance and medevac in piston, turboprop, and turbojet equipment, from dirt runways to busy international locations. Quality of equipment and quality of life runs the gamut from excellent to substandard and anywhere in between.

I have done jobs that are nothing but administrative transports, and I've had patients put on the aircraft that are spraying bodily fluids, badly burned, axe and gunshot wounds to the face, and all kinds of infectious conditions. I've had to take a series of shots after transporting a patient. I've transported children dying of cancer, and dead children. Some transports have been rewarding, some heartbreaking, some in unfavorable conditions.

The one absolute in any ambulance operation is that decisions are made based on safety of flight and nothing else. I have turned around and gone home, cancelling harvest of a heart, because of safety of flight circumstances. I have turned flights down for safety of flight, when the pressure was on to make the flight by nurses, general managers, owners, chief pilots, etc. I have taken airplanes off the line and grounded them due to maintenance at busy ambulance operations, making them unavailable. No one will help you there, and often won't back you...but as a professional you need to know what you can and cannot do, what's safe and what is not, and you need to be able to draw a line when no one else will.

I worked at a particular operation that took all comers; that is, any call for a patient, we went, regardless of the patient's ability to pay. We didn't ask. We got stiffed on about 50% of our lifts; patients refused, insurance wasn't there, whatever. We also got a lot more calls from hospitals and clinics, because they knew we'd come.

By comparison, every one of our competitors had earned the reputation of only flying when the patient could pay. If the flight was being dispatched and the company learned that the patient didn't have good insurance, the aircraft mysteriously broke down, but was available five minutes later for a different call. Not legal Not ethical. Very common.

I refuse to work for operations like that. It's always been an important element of my employment that I find the work rewarding. I don't feel that way with a shady operation, and there are many. Use caution, and don't ever take a job that you're not willing to drop in a heartbeat. The life you save won't only be your own.

Life Flight Network?
 

Life Flight Network, based in Oregon, has been consistently hiring pilots for their PC-12s and CJ4. Their pay is reasonable and they claim to be one the best non-profits to work for in Oregon. That said, their turnover for fixed wing pilots seems high (I’m basing this on their rate of hiring for the same positions at the same domiciles).

I’ve received recruiting calls from them, but I haven’t been ready to start the hiring process with them. That may change in the near future and I was wondering if anyone has any inside information on working for them…

Thanks,

JB

Anybody here working for Guardian Flight?

I start in a couple of weeks, can let you know how it is.

PM sent!!!

I've been flying medevac here in AK for 7 months now, love it! From what I hear, the airmed field used to be a lot of small companies competing against each other, now it's a couple bigger conglomerates. This is good for all involved, as the bigger groups have more financial depth, better pay and bennies, less pressure to take every flight, etc.

As a KA200 captain, I'm making about $100k a year, with the ability to work more at a substantially higher rate, occasionally. I'm away from home for 16-17 days a month, but it's a very easy schedule, and sometimes I time out at my home base , so I sleep in my own bed 2-3 nights per shift. The company expects you to do the right thing, so I have only turned down flights when the weather was truly atrocious, or we just couldn't make it work with duty day, etc. This is night and day different from flying 135 cargo in a beech 1900, that job was brutal. So far, I'd say this is the best balance of work/pay/quality of life that I have found in aviation.

Cool, thanks for sharing your experiences!

ATP has zero to hero programs for $80K. Full time and 9 months. Another year for building time.

You could put together a local PT SKD and keep your day job for a similar amount of time.

You want to take a pay cut to be up front?

I'm looking to speak with any pilots that fly for Guardian Flight. I have an interview with them this week and would like to hear about what it's like working for them, the job, etc.

Thanks in advance for any help!

I work for Guardian Flight. Happy to answer any questions

Sent you a PM

I am interviewing next Tuesday any gouge on the questions would be a big help