A Day in the Life of : Fixed Wing MEDEVAC Pilot
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- Опубликовано: 24 мар 2020
- This video provides insight into the typical routine of a fixed wing MEDEVAC pilot flying the Rockwell Turbo Commander 690B-10. Filming takes place between February 2017 and October 2019 in Arizona.
Congrats on moving into the airlines. My dream as a child was to become one. I went into the navy to work with airplanes and did get my private on my way. Had a bad accident and lost my left eye, so much for my dream. I did get over 270 hrs in my logbook, and got my High Perf. and Tail wheel endorsements.Wish things had gone my way.
Sorry to hear that, you may want to check with an eye doctor, they’re making strides in giving people back their sight in recent years. Good luck to you
Monocular vision is FAA approved via CFR 67.401 so long as you can pass the standards. It will definitely be a more challenging road, but if you want it you can still get it. Best of luck to you
First thank you for your service 🇺🇸 second thank you @Ken Cote for encouraging @marcus mikeal to never give up on his dream believe me I know that dreams do come true we just need to push ourselves sometimes over the limit. Good luck and God bless
Dang that's rough. Sry buddy.
As an aspiring pilot, I never felt drawn to the airlines. Ive always considered this or firefighting as potential alternatives. Great video!
Mike‘s World I agree
I agree, the airlines seem all stress and like they would beat the love of flying out of me. This job seems legit!
@No you check out Mentour Pilot here on RUclips. He is all about bringing aspiring pilots in properly. Of course, it always depends on where you are going to work. There is no equal of hours as PIC.
@No you Im personally just finishing up my private pilot training and would certainly recommend that you do a very thorough look into the different schools near you if you have options. $80k is certainly a typical price to pay, but going to a smaller school that offers the pay as you go option tends to help you and your wallet in major ways. In order to get where I am I cranked through trade school to get certified as a welder and am now making decent money, working through the week monday through friday and flying during the weekends. The progress wont be near as fast as you'd see for a student in a fast track program, but Im personally on track to finish my flight training private-commercial $30k cheaper and debt free. There's a dozen ways to approach your training, just do your research first and talk to different schools and figure out the path that's right for you. Whatever you do, don't loose the fire of ambition that'll make your dreams become a reality, there's nothing more exciting than reaching your potential no matter the effort that it takes. Best of luck to you!
Prepare to never have a summer ever again if you go into firefighting. This guys schedule isn't like most. They'll max your hours and you'll be on call every day for 3 months straight.
One thing that I really respect about the work that pilots like you do is these are truly jobs where you cannot say, "that's not my job". Your survival is in the details and the work with your crews.
Having lived in the populated areas of the Southeast all of my life with numerous emergency rooms and trauma centers I never thought too much about the distances needed to access needed care in our vast Western states. I watched this with great interest and admired the professionalism you demonstrated. Thank you and good luck in your new aviation role.
Extremely interesting from the uses of the EFB for operations and flying, flight planning, daily routine, to the actual aero commander flying. Single pilot operation is a tremendous challenge, but rewarding. Thank you! Patrick from Albquerque
KABQ, been there! Thanks!
Kind of interesting. I started medevac in Feb 2017 as well but I’m still here with no immediate plans to leave.. especially with what aviation has done this year.
Same job, but so different. I’m in British Columbia and live in the same town I work.. 10 minute commute. 12 hours scheduled occasional 14, 15, or extremely rare 17 hours for critical calls on 4/4 rotation days only (7am to 7pm). Since BC is insanely huge (700 nautical miles bottom to top... Phoenix to Bozeman MT) and has many small and remote communities with limited medical services, lots of our flights are scheduled transfers and repatriations. Every day at 7:00 they usually have something for us to do. I average about 700 hours a year.
Two crew operation. Captains require 3000 hours and an ATPL, First Officers require 1000 hours and 500 multi. Plane is a new King Air 350i which is absolutely essential for meeting dispatch reliability, steep climb gradients and powering out of icing, all while transferring up to two patients at a time and carrying several hundred pounds of critical care equipment and two medics, and doing it at 300KTAS in the mid 20s on average stage lengths of 300-400 nautical miles, tankering gas to airports that don’t have any.
The operation is pretty FO heavy. They do the weather checking and flight planning and liaison with dispatch. I just pull the plane in and out of the hangar, order fuel, liaison with maintenance, and make sure things don’t get missed. We go in and out of about 50 airports-many of which have no services whatsoever, no radar coverage or controlled airspace, not even instrument approaches in some very challenging terrain and weather so two pilots are absolutely essential.
I always wanted to fly the Turbo Commander. It’s a real sexy airplane and Ted Smith always thought of the pilot first when designing them.
Fly safe.
Yer on course for a life well lived. Well done.
I administer Anesthesia as a CRNA in a trauma hospital in Detroit doing shift work as you guys do medivac and fly my V35b Bonanza for fun ....
Life’s Good
I'm a month away from graduating high school and beginning flight training. The goal is to either do exactly what you're doing in the future, or to eventually got a slot as an aerial firefighter. Keep livin' the dream!
Only the US flies single pilots HEMS …not safe
Enjoyed the video. Living in Alaska we depend often on the life saving abilities of pilots like you, their aircraft and flight crews. Best of luck on the new job.
As a RN-MICP who has worked as Flight /Ground - RN-Paramedic - Firefighter for over 40 year in Oregon and Alaska I want to thank you for good work. I have flown with many Excellent Medvac Pilots in my career, and know they bring the brains and the talent to each call to keep us all safe. So others may live.. Good luck on next chapter ... Blue Skies
Wonderful and inspiring video, looks like fun. The only thing is being away from family for 7 days! Thank you for making these great videos!
This was awesome. Picked up plenty patients from fixed wing ambulances in my time. Thank you for what you do my brother. Subbed👍🏼 be safe during all this madness
And thank you my brother!
Tim Timmons ❤️
I’ve always been into helicopters when it comes to medical flights but started really looking at fixed wing. The difference is so huge it’s unreal but it’s incredible. Fixed wing definitely seems a little more “relaxed” per say because it’s mostly flying from one location to another and you don’t have to worry about a landing zone that is sketchy or tight spaces at hospitals. Aviation is something that amazes me and how far it’s come and living on a flight path and within a few miles of an aviation (both pilot and mechanical) has sparked my interest.
Yes the risk factor with fixed wing is substantially less than rotor. For that reason much respect to those who choose to fly rotor. I don't like going into a small airport that I have never been to for the first time at night, can't imagine landing every night at a totally unknown location.
That has always been a career I have considered doing after I'm finished flying in PNG.
I'm sure you have some great stories flying PNG.
@@FlyingWildAZ Yes, I do. It's an interesting place to fly.
It's nice but the pressure gets on you, specially on bad weather missions
Great video man! Working to get where you are right now! Thank you for for what you do! You all are heroes!
Incredible video, thank you for all the effort you invested making it
Thank you for the kind words, and thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing. When I did my night xcountry (about half a lifetime ago) with my instructor we went to ktus. While I was checking weather for the return flight he started talking to a fixed wing medevac pilot. Native Air if Iirc. He loved his job.
Thank you sir for your Service and taking great care of us may your future in Aviation be onward and upward sir .
Thanks A lot Mr .Timmons for the great interesting video!
What an enormous responsibility. Thank you for everything you do.
Appreciate you.
Impressive job my friend.
Thank you,
Stefano.
What a cool job! Man, I love seeing people that enjoy and care about what they do.
Great video Tim. I used to fly N79BE for a previous owner. It was good to get a glimpse of it again.
Talk about a one man show!
That was awesome thank you for your services
That was the first video of yours I have seen. I enjoyed it very much. I look forward to seeing more from you as you go forward.
Love the Riddle T-shirt! Go Eagles!
I cracked a smile when I saw the Embry-Riddle shirt. I’m currently at the Daytona campus in Florida and our flight department was shutdown down due to the virus. I was about a few modules away from getting my instrument rating :/ be safe flying out there!! Hopefully things will clear up and can resume getting my ratings
Fascinating to watch. Thanks Tim. Well done mate.
so wonderful just keep going i in joy watching your filling and wayting your next video thank you so much 💐🌄👍
Hey Tim, great watching this video and thanks for posting. I fly out of Safford myself (I am one of the King Air guys doing the same thing you do) - I hope you and your family are well! Again, pleasure watching! (I like music in my videos as well)
Really well done and best of luck on your next job.
I greatly appreciate how well produced this video is and the thoroughness of so many aspects that you could have easily glossed over. Realism well done sir!
The house I’m living at now is owned by a rotary life flight pilot. He basically does what’s depicted in this video. He also drives a few hours away for his shifts.
I switched over to the rotary side from fixed wing so I could go into aerial cinematography. I’ve had the thought several times that I may have done a dumb thing, but I still have my fixed wing CPL and need to get my CFI/CFII knocked out so I have those as backups. If I’m able to land some movies later on in my career, then that would be amazing!
Thanks again for the awesome video. I hope your aviation journey is still super fulfilling for you! See-YA!
Every time I hear the name Safford, Arizona it always reminds me of the 690 that impacted the Superstitions in 2011. I am glad your videos came up, now I can't stop watching. Love the area especially around Springerville where I have a few acres to come up from Texas to enjoy the cool weather in summer.
I’ve done the fixed wing and rotor wing side and I must say that I preferred the rotor wing side. And one of the things that I liked most about it was that the pilot and the medical crew shared crew quarters and were under the same roof. That way your safety briefing and aircraft checkouts were done together and everyone knew the status of things. That and you get to hang out and you just bond more.
I enjoyed working with my med crews and had a great relationship with them. I hear it is not like that in many places.
I was a 4 year flight medic for Critical Air San Diego (now defunct). I loved this video. I have my PPL now and can enjoy both sides of the business.
I have a dark blue CA polo shirt that a friend gave me 20-years ago.. It has a few holes and printing is getting pretty faded.. I refuse to let my wife throw it out. You guys were primarily out of Montgomery (KMYF) right?
@@ChickenHawk841 Our headquarters, dispatch, and maintenance was at MYF but our bases were CRQ and RNM. We had fixed wing bases all over the west. I did both fixed wing and rotor
still have my flight suit modeled after lifeflight San Diego. Yellow strips over blue. Very blue angel like as well
Really nice video Tim, Thank you for the insight on fixed-wing MEDIVAC ops and the 690B. Good luck in your new job.
Thanks for filming. Enjoyed the experience with you. Always wondered about those flights!
The B200 is the choice of medivac for twins. Cargo door, rugged and good all round perf for the role.
You forget to mention best "ramp presence." What a beast that B200 is!
@@FlyingWildAZ Used to build the King Airs in Wichita before I went active duty Navy (79). They used to advertise that you could take out every third rivet and it would still exceed FAA standards for safety. Nowadays if they tried that the company legal department would freak out and blow a gasket! 😂😂😂
Beech 350 is best.
Tons of power. 300 knots. With full gas you can still take a patient and two medics. In and out of 3000 foot strips.
seeing this in 2023! the commander is the LOUDEST turbo prob ever!!
I work in PHX as an LST and always look forward to seeing these guys roll through!
oh and N389P I still see that bird every once in a while !
Make your ear's bleed!
This was a fantastic video!!! Absolutely loved it. I know how challenging it can be getting all those angles.
This was a great video. It gives me great perspective as well. Thank you for sharing.
I'm a medevac pilot....Mitsubishi MU2 for a year and 13 years on the PC-12....Ontario and Quebec. You have a new subscriber.
I'm probably one of few that really like the Moo2.. Does Canada have a SFAR for it like we do here in U.S.?
@@ChickenHawk841 The SFAR is a US FAA thing.... I was trained on the Mu2 before the SFAR was required... (Trained by Reece Howells, from TN) Did my 135 ride in PBI with him. To fly the MU2 in Canada requires more training, about the same standard as to what Reece Howell provided, including the Orlando SIM and icing videos (an AD) I flew the MU2 in Fl for year, before flying in Canada.
1st time watch loved it.
It's surprising me that your job/services so complete (pax, ramp, flight service's) good job, may God bless you ...👍👍👍
Excellent. Thanks for sharing.
This video was awesome! Thanks for giving us a look at one of the possible aviation careers out there! Also, saw the ERAU shirt! GO EAGLES!
Great video Tim. I had no issues with the music or the volume of your voice.
Excellent video.. Brilliant watching
Thank you sir. Good info, appreciate the effort.
Very well directed video & great insight into the nature of medevac flying, Tim!
I'm a medevac pilot myself in the Canadian Arctic servicing some of the most remote communities on the planet.
Your schedule does make me very jealous, though! Up here, we do 14-day rotations (both day & night shifts on a rolling 14-hr duty day) and then get 14 days off.
Ouch. They really need to get rid of that 14 hour rolling duty day BS.
I’m 4/4 in the south with 12 hours all days home every night. I think in this market I’m staying put for now.
Calvin Nickel I agree! The 14-day on call operation does take its toll on the body and mind. Are you at Ornge by any chance? The schedule sounds familiar and definitely what I would prefer. Too bad there won’t be much movement happening in this climate.
Great video Tim! It was a great behind the scenes. I wish you well in the next phase of your career.
Thanks!
Thanks Tim really interesting insight into your typical day, good luck with the next chapter of your career!
Very interesting insight into the life of a medevac pilot, thanks for sharing!
There’s something calm and beautiful about flying at night for me, stunning video sir 😎
Yes, and little to no traffic to compete with except FEDEX and UPS. ;)
Nice video, I work as a flight paramedic in Ontario and it's interesting to see the differences and similarities across the border. That being said, I'm super thankful that we fly PC-12s now that I've seen the sardine can your medics work in!
Yeah I’d love to fly the PC-12... except all of the really tall pointy hard things in BC that makes me really appreciate an extra PT6.
I'm exploring aviation work and see it has time commitments and if course risk. Then again, no job comes without risk- especially helicopter medevac piloting. Thank you.
Loved watching this video !!!
Wonderful video. Thank you. ❤
Awesome video! Even for us guys that fly for a living, all flying jobs just aren't the same! I miss the days of VFR hand flying and doing my own flight planning! Good luck on the new endeavors and again, awesome job!
I know you’ve gotten a lot of comments about this but I could really do with quieter or even no music. We love hearing chatter with atc!
Hey Adam, the constructive criticism about the audio has been very civil and tactful and I promise you, noted. Kinda shocking for a RUclips crowd that normally takes no prisoners. I appreciate you and thanks for watching.
Thanks for sharing! That was very interesting!!
As a long-time pilot from the late '80s to the mid-90s, a lot has changed. I did this service for about 8 years, and all I did was fly company employees and documents from PHX/DVT or CHD to LAS, LAX, SAN, SNA, FUL, and others and then back home. Again, went to pick them up. It was quite boring other than the flying. The money was ok, but not what it is now. Pretty much an "air taxi" driver. It is an alone type of life, not necessarily a "lonely" life. I mostly flew the Baron 55, 58, and P210s the company had. Now, I'm on the EMS side of things. I got my PP, IR, CP, and MER in AZ and have fond memories of flying the SW USA. Thanks for sharing! I hear there is a shortage, but I'm just too old (60)!
My favorite part about this was the pilot math involved. My god, I wish I knew that when I was flying caravans.
Im new to flying, where did he pull those numbers from?
Good video.
Former medevac pilot on Beech 200 with cargo door. Easier to board the streachers.
Good flights.
thanks for your service
Thank you Andy.
This is exactly the type of operation I want to be a part of when I get my multi 😍 Love this plane too
Tim, can you lower the music volume at or below your talking volume on the video. My neighbors get mad at me for playing loud music before I get a chance to lower the volume, then when the music stops I have to raise the volume to hear you.
Uggh, so sorry DB! My apologies. Thank you, I really need to learn how to normalize the entire sound track so at least if there is music it does not blow the listener away. Next video is almost all commentary on the ice protection system of the Turbo Commander. Stay tuned.
@@FlyingWildAZ Oh and remember, you already have music on every video when you hit the fuel on switch and get ignition on those two engines of yours :D
You should not be playing LOUD MUSIc in th 1st place. Put your dam head phones on instead. You are disrupting other peoples lives, and it is against the law.
@@DANCINGERN I wish it was against the law in my city. My neighbours like to intrude.
A You tuber emailed me letters that were uneducated in their writing@@andytaylor1588 style with poss threats from so called other people so it worked.
15:43 For the love of fine food, what is THAT...
sausages with onion?
Glizzy with cheese
Looked like a future ride onboard his on platform.
Brilliant! I never realized my cousin was....this incredible! Thanks for this...
This was both informative and pleasant to watch.
Fantastic video 👍 I see you have a Volkswagen Passat, one of the best cars made imo. I still have mine since 05 !!
Owned that car from new all the way back in 2001. Loved that car, sold it when I left the job in November, it had 230,000 miles.
Tim Timmons that’s crazy, Such a reliable and smooth car to drive. They certainly don’t make now like they did before. All the best from a private pilot and subscriber here in Ireland 🇮🇪
@@cianoreilly9261 Greetings to the homeland from a third generation Irish-American!
10:46 there`s probaly someone playing flight sim
They even have the pedals.
You'd think since it's what they do for a living day in and day out they'd get tired of aviation related stuff and want to do something different when they're not at work or on a flight. That being said, I guess I can't really say anything. I'm a Firefighter/ AEMT full time paid and I volunteer at a fire department and a rescue squad and also play DOJRP (A game using Grand Theft Auto 5 that has been modified and you play as Police/ Fire/ EMS.) So I guess pilots playing Flight Sim is no different. lol
It will be great to watch videos on this line of work. Keep up the good work. Thank you.
Congratulations on the new adventure!
why am i imagining someone suffering in pain waiting for a life flight while this guy is setting up angles for a montage of him getting suited up hahaha
What’s the turnaround time? How fast can you get back to base if there was another person that needed a medevac while you were out?
Almost exactly four hours from phone call to back at the crew house. Had more than a few times where we got back and took another patient right away. Could count on my fingers the number of times in three years where we flew three back to back mission with the ambo waiting for us on the ramp when we got back to base. When the weather turns real crappy the rotors don't fly so business picks up for us. That said I flew less than five trauma patients in three years.
@@FlyingWildAZ why do they choose aircraft over helicopters?
@@joeyknight8272 Range
Joey Knight longer range and faster
@@joeyknight8272 A lot of our flights were over 350 nm. with multiple legs.
Wow, this is my dream job. I've re-watched your video 3 times already. I'm so drawn to this life.
Airlines aren't for me but being a medevac pilot is. Hoping I'll achieve my dream one day. I'd give anything for this life.
Thanks for sharing your expectations with us sir, and congratulations on the upgrade 💪
Great video! L love Twinn Commanders, a rocky solid plane. Cheers from Brazil.
I'm pretty sure "rocky" is just a typo but I think "rock" is the word to use for the intent
Do you get paid for the entire 12 hour shifts? Or is it only when you’re in the air like commercial pilots? Thanks, and great video!
I am sure he is being paid by shift not by flight.
Paid salary. EMS stands for Earn Money Sleeping lol
Awesome video. Just curious, what company do you fly for? I’m currently working on my ratings down at KIWA
Thanks Ryan. Was flying for an outfit called Ponderosa Air Ambulance. I left there in November 2019.
Do you still fly
If so where
@@earthllamma1613 during the part at the end of the video, he explains.
A wonderful story and congratulations on your moving to a new venture in flying.
Wow, I loved your video. Always wondered how fixed wing med evac works. My aunt worked for Native Air in PHX on the helo for years as a flight nurse. Great video! Keep it up!
Great Video Tim, what are the requirements for this type of flying? I am currently a firefighter working to finish ratings and build time then transition into flying as a career change.
Commercial Multi Engine with an Instrument rating at a minimum. Can imagine their insurance is also looking for at least a 500-1500 hour pilot. No type rating needed as it is below the 12,500 pound gross weight.
They want you to have a ME ATP. 2000TT/ 250 hours turbine time. Second class medical.
I started flying at 35 and retired from the military at 43 before flying for a living so a career change is definitely possible. Good luck to you.
@@FlyingWildAZ Tim Fellow Veteran Thank You for your Service . I'm a US Air Force Veteran & VA Retiree . What branch of the Service were you in & when did you serve ? I served 18 August ' 71 - 25 May ' 75 . VA I worked May ' 76 - August ' 97 .
How does a town of 7,000 have a fixed wing medevac aircraft? Is this common in small towns?
Hi David. Not common, but air assets are strategically located to serve a large area of remote towns so the asset can be flexed. Most of AZ is pretty remote.
It isn't one town of 7000, more like 12 towns within about 20 minutes flight time. The author has at least 8 along US 70 and 191that would fit the bill. Also some companies sell "memberships" for about $500 up to $1000 per year that will cover the patient's out of pocket IF the patient is transported by the company. Google Air Ambulance Membership Plans for examples. Six towns of 7000, could easily generate 3000 memberships. At $100/month which could cover all pilot salaries at a base similar to the author's.
also taxes lolol
Amazing video thanks for sharing!
I never understood how important IFR was until I watched you land at night.
Interesting to note that most countries require pilots to have an instrument rating to fly at night, not the US. I have been out on VFR clear moonless nights in the middle of the desert where it was more IMC than being in the middle of a cloud yet it was perfectly legal for a non-instrument rated pilot to be flying around. Go figure.
Love everything except for the music lol
The music is fine just the volume is a little too high
Hey Tim, when your not transporting patients, have you ever felt the urge to do some Bob Hoover style aerobatics in your Turbo Commander? 😜
You know it! Pour some tea!
@@FlyingWildAZ 😂😂😂😂😂 But only backhand pouring!! 😂😂😂😂
@@airmackeeee6792 I met him at Oshkosh. Signed my log book. What a legend.
@@FlyingWildAZ Whoa. Absolute legend!! I'm guessing you read his biography "Forever Flying"?
@@airmackeeee6792 Had him sign my copy of that book as well.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing.
thank you for all your good work... and for this interesting video
Thank you Julian!
Great Video Tim! I would like to get involved in flying for a MEDVAC company. I have just over 1500hrs, part 135 time, and 300 hrs of multi. Any tips or suggestions where to get started? I'm also a CFII, MEI. Thanks in advance. Will
Will, sounds like you are on the right track. Probably need to move out to the southwest where fixed-wing MEDEVAC is prevalent. Check Guardian.
So just curious, could you live on base and be able to spend your shift time at home instead of a crew house? I know the small town life isn’t as appealing, but I love the idea of getting paid to be a stay at home dad, as long as I fly when I am on call.
Absolutely. As a matter of fact two of our pilots lived in town. They were on call but pretty much could do whatever they wanted as long as they could get to the airport before the med crew. Many days they got paid to do nothing. If you are up for moving to a small town I bet you would have no problems getting a job like this.
Love to see you flying the premiere!
Awesome video! I appreciate all the small details that are shown as I am considering a career in aviation.
@10:54 that roll of TP is in the ‘under’ configuration. No!
What kind of salary can be expected with this job?
A little late to the party but over 100k a year
Nice. Loved it when you strapped on that 'parachute' !!!
Just tripped upon your channel by chance! Well done!!
As an old (but not bold) pilot, I still cannot get enough aviation "content" ever!! I am soooo old, we used to fly checks around at night to build time!!
Keep up the great videos....... LOVE IT!
Enjoyed the video, and seeing what goes on behind the scenes. You really don't need to lay music over your video. It would be fine without.
Tim its a good beginner video but if you wanna get more subscribers than you've gotta be more informative about how the flight is going, stuff like that, and I agree with a lot of the other comments, cut the music please, and tell the audience what kind of injuries you're flying and what the other flight crew's duties are, the more informative the more interest you'll gain!
completely agree with you
Really enjoyed it - thanks.
Very well done. Thank you