I flew EMS from 1996-1998 for a major urban metro trauma center. The equipment, facilities were really first class, as were the aircraft. At the time, /R GPS capability with data card updates every week was state of the art.
The weak link was the pay - PHI owned the contract during my period of employ. My pay was the same as any VFR pilot flying a Bell 206 light single off a near shore oil rig. All costs, including training were micro managed to the point that we got creative with the Hobbes circuit breaker to keep some sort of currency on IFR procedures like setting up and flying an ILS single piloted.
Pay was low, typically $40 K'ish for 14 x 12 hour days per month. You really needed a SELRES flying job or NG on side or have a mil pension. It was a fun job, but unlike The Show, where there is a payoff later in career flying Big Iron, your "at will employment" pay scale topped out in a rather weak fashion.
Now, there is no silver bullet. Here I am, making $150K per year, plus bonus, with awesome medical sitting in a cubicle all day - but I hunger for a cyclic and collective in my hands daily. 4,000 hours and an ATP, I still have a fantasy of going back into the cockpit
My next career goal is to find a way to mesh all my IT experience and GE provided world class business training with my passion for aviation and flying - working on that ! It has something to do with buying a surplus Army UH-60A with @mad dog and selling services to Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky LE agencies who need medium lift.
The weak link was the pay - PHI owned the contract during my period of employ. My pay was the same as any VFR pilot flying a Bell 206 light single off a near shore oil rig. All costs, including training were micro managed to the point that we got creative with the Hobbes circuit breaker to keep some sort of currency on IFR procedures like setting up and flying an ILS single piloted.
Pay was low, typically $40 K'ish for 14 x 12 hour days per month. You really needed a SELRES flying job or NG on side or have a mil pension. It was a fun job, but unlike The Show, where there is a payoff later in career flying Big Iron, your "at will employment" pay scale topped out in a rather weak fashion.
Now, there is no silver bullet. Here I am, making $150K per year, plus bonus, with awesome medical sitting in a cubicle all day - but I hunger for a cyclic and collective in my hands daily. 4,000 hours and an ATP, I still have a fantasy of going back into the cockpit
My next career goal is to find a way to mesh all my IT experience and GE provided world class business training with my passion for aviation and flying - working on that ! It has something to do with buying a surplus Army UH-60A with @mad dog and selling services to Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky LE agencies who need medium lift.
Last edited:
