Anyone currently flying Lifeflight (helo)

[Olydog]

Looking at flying helo lifeflight, anyone have insight into the currency, QOL, pay range. Relocating to Memphis area due to wife's career and have dual time as a former military guy so have options fixed or rotary wing jobs. Flying and helping save lives has some intangible value beyond the pay scale. A combined air ambulance and helo gig would be the best of both worlds, any leads????

 

[FlyingSkip]

Oly---you can DEFINITELY look at Helo EMS---my training class had several guys who hadn't flown in years and were just getting current again---flying a Phling Wing is like riding a bike, you don't forget. At least where I'm at, the fixed wing and helo sides are totally separate---and based on the pay you want them to be! I know that PHI had several openings in MO, and that AirEvac has openings in TN but the state has higher helo time limits than just about anywhere else. I know your situation is different than mine, but since everyone is on a 7/7 schedule, I'm going to be flying 5 hours from where I live cuz the week I'm on, they're giving me company housing and I'm working---the week that I'm off I live where my family is. Might make things a little different if that type of thinking could work for you---I know that at my base all 4 of us are going to live there during the week and commute home during the off week cuz we'll all live too far away to drive back and forth every day. A lot of EMS is in places that are far enough off the beaten path you'e probably not going to want to move everyone there.

My $.02 is worth about half that after taxes...hope it helps. When did you go through P-Cola and where did you spend your time?

 

[Olydog]

Skip,

My grape is saturated with so much info I feel like a cone back at flight school trying to collect all the gouge the day before my first solo checkride. Been plowing through so many forums just catching up on things. Got lazy in Italy and waited too long to get back in the hunt. Now the prey is all around me and I just want unload a whole magazine but in reality I feel like I'm carrying a pellet gun and anything I shoot at I'll just piss off and it go away. Need to get a bigger gun......KNOWLEDGE. Well I'm gettin plenty of help now. I went thru pcola Jan 84-May85 then went to Pendleton 303 & HMLA 369 til 90, then Instructor VT2 til 93, then HQMC, the WASP and back to Mag 39 98-2001 finished flying Citation at Miramar. I'd really like to talk, I've got your number I'll ring you sometime this week. s/f Oly

 

[Hobit]

http://brian.hudson.home.mchsi.com/helopay/index.htm

 

[Doozer]

Olydog:

I've been doing helo EMS for the past 3 1/2 years, and I'm having a blast.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "currency." I hadn't flown a helicopter in 11+ years when I applied to the outfit I work for now. 4.1 hours of company flight training in a B206L later, I was assigned to our then newest base in Eastern, KY -- as the lead pilot. To be fair, our training program has evolved into a much more comprehensive and professional undertaking since then.

QOL, in my opinion, depends on how close your base assignment is to your home. A normal schedule is 7 days on, 7 days off, alternating between day and night shifts. If you're lucky enough to be assigned to a base within an hour's drive of your home QOL will be great. If you're assigned to a base far enough from home that you have to stay there for your entire 7-on, QOL is not as good; however, if you're working with a good group of people I wouldn't call it bad either.

Pay range depends on helo EMS experience and -- if a union isn't involved -- your negotiating skills. Somewhere between 45K & 50K to start, with an additional 1.5K per year of helo EMS experience is about routine.

You mentioned Memphis in your post, so I'll warn you that TN requirements are onerous compared with other states'. The TN minimums are 3,000 hours total time, 2,000 hours helicopter PIC, 1,000 hours turbine helicopter, and 200 hours unaided night time.

If I can be of further assistance, feel free to PM me.

Good luck & Semper Fi,

 

[scarface]

I don't know anything about the lifeflight industry but, due to an unfortunate medical emergency in the family, I've been spending some time at the Altoona, Pa. Trauma Center overlooking the helo pad and those guys do some impressive work. I agree that the intangibles of saving lives and and pushing the envelope make this quite appealing. It's beyond my current helo capabilities but I sure do admire their work; I don't know what they pay them but it ain't enough.
If my computer does its occasional multi posting I apologize.