Lifeguart callsign question

[upndsky]

I know what the lifeguard add-on to a call sign signifies, but I'm always taken aback when an airline uses it. I'll hear one like that -- "USAir Lifeguard 123" -- 2 or 3 times a week. What could they be hauling to warrant priority handling?

 

[cl-65link]

My last lifeguard flight was about 2 weeks ago. We had an eyeball(or eyeballs), not sure which.

 

[XLR8]

I've only been designated "Lifeguard" once, it was for the same thing, carrying human eye tissue. It was kind of nice though......we took off out of MSP and somewhere over downtown Minneapolis we were cleared direct PVD (Providence, RI) . Of course, since we're just a little regional carrier the mainline ground crew in PVD wasn't in a big hurry to get this eye from off the airplane....as a matter of fact, they didn't even know it was coming......oh well.

 

[skydiverdriver]

Perhaps I'm a little slow, but I cannot understand why people use "lifeguard" for carrying eyes. It is true that many airlines will do this as a free service to help out people with the outragious costs associated with medical care. However, who ever died because their cornea transplant was delayed? I thought "lifeguard" was to be reserved for those guys flying a patient and/or his new heart to a place where they could all be put together again. I'm not a doctor, but I think if you are using "lifeguard" when all you have is human eyes, I think you are cheating the system. Don't you?

 

[cl-65link]

I'm not really sure. When my FO called to get the clearance from BIS to MSP, we were informed we were a "lifeguard" flight by the controller. Our dispatch must have filed the flightplan this way after finding out from the station that we had body parts on-board. Then a little stryofoam box was brought on board and placed in the cockpit.

 

[tarp]

Many organs are "time sensitive" on the timeframe in which they must be transplanted. The choice is priority handling and pick-up or letting the organs die without use - what a waste that would be.

If designated as "lifeguard", they should be given priority.

We have the lessor "Compassion" flight designator for non-time critical patients and organs which is a courtesy to people doing nice things for other people.

 

[skydiverdriver]

So, perhaps the dispatcher is jumping the gun on this one. I agree that it's important to get the eyes to the people who need them, but I dont' think priority handling is in order. I'm sure another ten minutes or so won't matter much. Now, if it was a question of them being diverted somewhere else, then I could see the lifeguard priority making a difference.

 

[XLR8]

I used to fly around with the State Patrol quite a bit and they would often fly human eye tissue in the helicopter or airplane if. Often times they would drive them in their cars...with lights and sirens to the airport. I guess eyes are more of a emergency than we think!

 

[Fr8DoggyStyle]

I get to use "lifeguard" every day as i work for an air ambulance company now. I feel that it's warranted for eyeballs and and any other organ. Calling lifeguard may move you to the front of the line but ATC wont clear all paths for you just because you are lifeguard. They are very good about helping us out but they dont go overboard. I know that if my loved ones were laying in a hospital bed waiting on a kidney, eyeball, whatever, that i would feel a lot better knowing that if there is a big line of planes getting out of LAX that the plane the goods are on will get shuffled towards the front of the pile. As far as getting a "direct destination" so what? It wont slow anyone else down much or they wouldnt give it to you. I have never actually flown just an organ, only "whole" people (mostly whole anyway), but honestly, most of them arent going to DIE if we get delayed a bit. We still use lifeguard though for all legs that someone is on board. You just never know, even with organs i know that the success rate of transplants goes down a lot with every passing moment that it doesnt get a blood supply.


just my .02 though i'm sure there are other opinions