Medevac Pilot Career

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danishroy
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Medevac Pilot Career

Post by danishroy »

I am about to start training for my ppl near November this year and Cpl hopefully starting January. I know I am still a ways away from starting to look for a job flying, but I was looking at Integra Air and say that they hire Medevac F/Os with min 500 hours. Which seems quite low to me. Is it possible to get a job with 500 hours as a med pilot? What is it like? Salary? I know you don't get to fly a lot and hours can suck as you can be on call. Just wanting to see what my options would be after I am a MIFR CPL. I really don't want to go up north to work ramp for 2 years. I am a Apprentice Mechanic and I make decent money so I can wait and build more hours and maybe fly part time. Plus is still have about 2 years left to finish my apprenticeship and I plan to get my Heavy duty mechanic license as a back up. So what do you guys think of medevac? What other options for a flying job are out there for a low hour pilot?
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Brantford Beech Boy
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Brantford Beech Boy »

You can get an F/O job with a CPL/IFR and a heartbeat... (well maybe except with all that Contrails foolishness)

We've had plenty of BE20 f/os on medevac that still had that new car smell....

weeeeee!

BBB
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Illya Kuryakin
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Illya Kuryakin »

Wouldn't wish medevac flying on anybody, but yes, 500 hours should do it. It all depends on contract requirements.
Illya
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danishroy
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by danishroy »

Illya, why do you say that? Just curious to hear your opinion.
Thanks!
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Cessna driver
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Cessna driver »

In alberta, medevacs are a hard rule 500 TT due to Alberta Health contract
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timel
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by timel »

danishroy wrote:Illya, why do you say that? Just curious to hear your opinion.
Thanks!
The best is when you get those with Tuberculosis...
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esp803

Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by esp803 »

I'm not a seasoned medevac pilot, I have however spent a winter flying Medevacs in the Yukon. At this particular company, if you can function with getting calls at 11pm to start a very long work day, and can go about your life within half an hour of the airport: it can provide a very nice lifestyle. As a career though? That'd be tough. Between the screwed up sleep cycles, risk of infections (Hep for example), surprisingly un-rewarding (patients may be happy about what your doing.... but you will rarely hear it.... for obvious reasons. Medics are like pilots, just complain all the time), same places time after time... it would be hard to make a career out of it.

I remember when I was working on my commercial, I knew I wanted to fly jets, shiny fast jets. The further I get in my career, the less appealing that seems. If I were in your shoes, I'd break down the 200hrs required for a commercial license into something like this:

100hrs of Night (25 of it cross country) (on a tail dragger)
50 Hours on floats
30 Hours on some sort of twin (for your Multi-IFR)
10 Hours doing Aerobatics
20 Hours in a Glider (Yes I know this totals 210 hours... but I think you can use 10 hours of the 20 towards airplanes)

Anyways, at the end you will have all the night you need for your ATPL, a Float rating with enough hours to get insured at places that require the magic 50, good hands and feat from your tail Dragger time and from the aerobatics, A glider license, a Multi-IFR. Essentially you will be the most employable 200hr pilot around, and it will give you a good sense of what you actually like doing. IFR might be your thing, or maybe floats, or maybe off strip super cub work. You don't know until you try.

just my .02

E
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Illya Kuryakin
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Illya Kuryakin »

danishroy wrote:Illya, why do you say that? Just curious to hear your opinion.
Thanks!
Did it. Hated it. Most were simply because they missed the sked. Don't want what they have to take home to my kids thanks. Probably 75% were totally unnecessary. Still are.
If you can get on with a company that doesn't "push", and you have 500 hours, build some time while you look for a real job.
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DanWEC
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by DanWEC »

Don't forget the 3 or 4 escorts that they require for the Friday evening allergic reaction, to spend the weekend in the city.
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danishroy
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by danishroy »

Maybe I should've worded it better lol. I don't want to do it as a career. But just thinking of doing it as a part time kind of thing until I can build some more hours. My end goal is to fly for a major airline. Just not sure what flying stuff is out there that I could do without going to work a ramp job. I'm only 22, I still have lots of time. Plus I still need to complete my apprenticeship.
I like the break down of the 200 hours. It does sound like it would give me lots of good experience. But iv never seen a tail dragger at any of the airports iv been to. Where would I be able to rent one? Or even find someone to train me in a tail dragger?
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Krimson
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Krimson »

Nobody has that breakdown at 200 hours, and I don't think anyone will care until you can sell yourself in an interview. If you made it that far, your 200 hours won't matter anymore anyway. Personally I think it is a waste of money to diversify 200 hours with tail-dragger, floats, aerobatics, etc. If there's one that interests you for fun, go ahead, but otherwise save your money.

The ramp to pilot scheme doesn't necessarily mean you have to be a ramp attendant. You can knock on a few doors and talk about becoming an AME-to-pilot hire.
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danishroy
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by danishroy »

I don't think that would work out since my trade is heavy equipment mechanic and I don't want to do another apprenticeship as a AME. Plus I feel like that job would be just as bad as working ramp. I know all too well what a 1st year mechanic does all day every day. Glorified floor sweeper.
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Nwtflier
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Nwtflier »

Although life as a rampie is not glorious and you're bang on with your glorified floor sweeper comment, I still had lots of fun on the ramp. Get on with the right company, make a few friends that you work with and accept that you are a rampie for 1-1.5 years and you will have no problems. If you're not afraid of 4 a.m. wake ups, plowing snow and cold temps I'd recommend going the rampie route. If you want to make money(working your non aviation job) and still gain some hours I'd go be an instructor.
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Biggles
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by Biggles »

I like my job. I work for a company that specializes in medical transport all around the world. Only some of it is time sensitive medevac. Most of it is all about moving quickly and efficiently, still focussing on safety. I get to have a beer in every continent and do exactly what I signed up to be a pilot for: to see the world. Yes the schedule is challenging, especially once you're married and have kids, but it is manageable if your better half is understanding and somewhat independent. You have the same schedule every month so you can plan personal activities on days off several months down the road. Good luck finding that anywhere else. It is not for everyone. If your dream is to be a bus driver for the airlines, that is awesome too. The airlines have a lot of benefits that air ambulance can't even touch, but be mindful of the cons as well. Very few jobs are perfect. Do what's right for you. PM me if you have any questions.
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SuperchargedRS
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Re: Medevac Pilot Career

Post by SuperchargedRS »

I work down south as a medevac pilot and love it.

Good pay, good sched, one week on one off, home every night, union, bennies, great aircraft, etc

As for catching something lol. Are you licking your fingers after you help load the pt without gloves or something? Your med crew and referring hospitable not masking a possible TB? Really?

It's a great job, and I'm honestly kinda surprised they would put a fresh CPL up front, only way you'd get into one of our planes would be as a pt. We're nearly double the required ATP hours as our mins.

Got a buddy up there that works or Orange, he seems to like it.
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