air ambulance pay?

[-SBG-]

i just interviewed for an air ambulance job flying a lear 25 & 35 as an FO. im not sure i understand the pay scale this company uses. aparently they pay $20 per flight hour domestic and $30 per flight hour international. its probably sugar coated... but they said i will be flying 60-80 hours a month. does anyone currently get paid per flight hour and how does it work out. its likely im going to pass on this job.

 

[Photoflight]

that sounds like crap....

at 20 an hour and 70 hours a month it only comes out to 17,000 a year. Is there a base pay?


Plus 70 hours a month in Air Am just really isn't that feasable unless they just totally disregard duty and rest rules.

 

[Wingman10]

air ambulance pay

Something else to think about. How many days per month do you have to work to fly the 60-70 hours per month? If your pay is based purely on flying time then you might not see your home airport that often.
What other benefits do they offer (medical/dental/401k). There are alot of things to consider including upgrade time, QOL issues and hourly ground pay.
Hope this helps.

 

[thatpilotguy]

I did the air ambulance gig years ago. The pay was salary, and not very good, that's the nature of the beast. With that said the best "month" I ever had was 23 days on the road and a little over 70 hours. We did it right, followed the rules and as a result the company went out of business. By far the most rewarding job I have ever had, but your not gonna get rich. These days it seems that the air ambulance world is filled with a lot of the "lowest bidders." I would be very careful what opporator you go with. The FAA has their eyes on these guys and I think it's only a matter of time before we see another wave of companies shut down. CYA!!!

 

[flyer1054]

I currently work for an air ambulance operator. We don't get paid by the flight hour because in our case, it would have to be pretty high. Instead, I work 7 on 7 off and base salary is 50k. With work overs, rate is your daily rate times 1.5. The work overs are set up months in advanced and can bring in a nice bonus at the end of the month. Sounds like your getting screwed at 20 buck an hour. Hope that helps. Also, it is feast or famine. I am currently on day 6 of a 7 day shift and have only flown once. Not a time builder but requires more attention to detail when you do fly.

 

[-SBG-]

no benifits... no base... no per diem... no schedule days on or off and i would have to pay for my own training. wow! i thought upgrading to a job flying a lear jet would make for a more rewarding pay check.

 

[flyer1054]

If that is the case, no beni's, pay for training, I would stear clear. There are many other jobs out there that may pay the same, but provide those things.

 

[Irish Pilot]

Seems like air ambulance is hit and miss. There are good and bad companies out there. The one I fly for has us salary,flying jets at about the "average" pay scales according to pilot pay for 135 small jets. Full benefits, and after 9 months Ive yet to see a hotel room other than at type school...thats my favorite part. Im home every day. No on call: 6 on 3 off schedule

 

[Windsor]

no benifits... no base... no per diem... no schedule days on or off and i would have to pay for my own training. wow! i thought upgrading to a job flying a lear jet would make for a more rewarding pay check.

stay very very far away from an operator like that. You are a professional pilot, not a slave. I'm sure you have worked hard to get where you are. Dont take a step backwards by paying for training and working for garbage wages. Its operators like this that give a bad name to the charter business. What is the company you are talking about?

 

[-SBG-]

no... i didnt take the job. i made them an offer but wasnt called back. im not going to point fingers but it was a company in florida. which is probably why they dont pay anything.