Single Pilot Medevac Flight Operations?

[The Old Fogducker]

Hi Folks:

I need the collective assistance of AvCanada Forum visitors.

Its been awhile since I looked into this, but I need to know if any of the Provincial Air Services that you know of still fly medevac flights with single pilot IFR? For clarity, these are the government owned and operated aircraft, not those flown by private companies with an AOC on Medevac contracts.

The augmenting medevac contractors from private industry are generally held to operating with specified pre-approved pilots, two crew, functioning autopilot, aircraft inspected by Health Dept staff at some interval, audits of training records are conducted from time to time, etc. and generally close oversight is maintained on private operations.

I'm attempting to determine if a similar degree of oversight, staffing, and equipment is being conducted at government flight operations sections.

Further, for private contractors, are the Para-Medics or Flight Nurses employed by the company, or supplied by an external medical agency?

I thank-you for taking the time to answer, and if you prefer, you may send me a PM to remain confidential.

The Old Fogducker

[200Above]

Saskatchewan Governement still operates BE20 single pilot, as far as I know.

There have been talks in the past as to switching to 2 crew, but it never seems to pan out.

From my experience, in Sask, when a medevac is out sourced to a private company, the flight nurses/paramedics are usually from the community your doing the medevac out of. I do remember one of the paramedics telling me that they required some special training in order to do medevacs. But I recall taking some RN's out of small communitys which, I'm guessing didnt have this special course or extra training. I know for sure that when we did a medevac, our flight nurses were nowhere near the experience levels and/or training that the governement of sask was utilizing. So are the standards different for different operators? Beats me

The company I fly for now have in-house flight nurses who have to do more training than us (almost) which must, in some way or another, relate to the contract requirments we hold.

Every province has their own little quarks when it comes down to what they 'like' or 'require'.

Under that note, is there some higher power that then sets minimum requirments or standards? Federal Gov? or just Provincialy regulated?

thats the best i can do

[turbo-prop]

Yes Saskatchewan flies single pilot for now.

As too requirements it is provincially set. Alberta uses paramedics, the operators are private. The paramedics are not on the private carriers payroll. In Sask. the pilots are from one part of the gov't while the nurses are from another part. Manitoba is private with nurses on payroll.

[North Shore]

Manitoba is private with nurses on payroll.

Not quite...Lifeflight is a Provincial Government division, with pilots and nurses on payroll. Doctors are on call if the patient needs them. That is for the most critical patients. The private turboprop operators, Fast Air, Perimeter etc., have nurses on payroll, and AFAIK, don't carry Drs...

[bandaid]

B.C. is all Provincially run. Two pilot only with the exception (and this may have changed) of helicopter. Though it is provincially run the contract goes out to companies to run the flight end of things. So far as I know it is Carson Air and Northern Thunderbird that are used in the Interior. Paramedics are used exclusively.

[The Old Fogducker]

Thanks for the info so far folks ... how do things work in Ontario and points east?

OFD

[Lost Lake]

2 crew in Ontario, no exceptions I know of. Medical staff are hired by the carrier. Most/all para-medics work for Ornge, then work for private companies on their time off, making 2-3 times pilot wage on their time off!

[Brewhouse]

Manitoba is private with nurses on payroll.

Not quite...Lifeflight is a Provincial Government division, with pilots and nurses on payroll. Doctors are on call if the patient needs them. That is for the most critical patients. The private turboprop operators, Fast Air, Perimeter etc., have nurses on payroll, and AFAIK, don't carry Drs...

Close North Shore, but during six years of medevac's in MB there where quite a few times we had doctors on board. Anytime the patient was being intubated there was always a DR, and there where other more serious cases as well. In all fairness they should have been lifeflight trips but they where not available or not available in a reasonable amount of time. I do also recall transporting patients out of communities that had strips too short for the citations and meeting the jet at a bigger center.

When I started flying medevac in about 98 or 99 we flew all single pilot. It was actually quite nice when MB health put in the requirement for two crew. It sure made loading the patients in and out of the aircraft allot easier.

[mbav8r]

Sorry Brewhouse, I have to disagree, when I started medevacs in 97 it was already 2 crew for awhile. Then in 98 more restrictive captain qualifications came into effect. They made it mandatory 1500 hrs 500 mpic to operate as PIC for medevacs, I know this because I had been opeating as PIC for medevacs since just under a 1000 hours and actually had about 480 MPIC when the new rule went into effect.
I had always had a 2 crew ride with a single pilot portion so I could fly charters single pilot once in ahwile. I would be curious what company in Mb was operating single pilot for medevacs around that time, they shouldn't have been.

[Brewhouse]

I guess I'm getting old and forgetful, Just checked my log and I started in late 95, and we were single pilot for a time

[skyhag]

In 1996 Legislation for Manitoba Medevacs was made law. (2 engines 2 pilots) Companies had to meet standands and apply for MB Air Ambulance Licencing since then (not sure what month it was.......) This is a yearly mandatory requirement for companies (including inspections by Govt people - aviation, air medical and EMS services for base requirements). Each Pilot, Nurse, Medic who flies medevacs must be individually licensed as well (every 3 years). Every medevac of a Manitoba Health patient is traceable to all company people (pilots and medical) on that aircraft. Unless this has recently changed (doubt it - Manitoba doesn't change legislation THAT quickly) I'm sure things haven't changed much in 2010....... SH.

[Tim]

Everything on the East Coast is two-crew whether its gov't or private companies.

[Carrier]

Should not all of the crew on a medevac flight be employed on the same basis and receive appropriate remuneration? In provinces such as Alberta pilots and medics wear the same uniform and work together as part of the same team to transfer a patient. However the unionised medics are on the government payroll while the non-union pilots are employees of various private contractors. This results in pay and conditions disparities, with the pilots earning considerably less than the medics.

Why do the non-union pilots put up with such a situation? Surely they should belong to the same union as the medics. Their pay should be at least the same as for government flight crews and they should receive the same benefits as the government employees that they work so closely with. Their pay should definitely be more than that for a medic. What is the comparative cost and how long does it take to become a King Air captain as against a medic? What are the comparative responsibilities?

Medevac pilots in such a situation have real reasons for joining the union. What is holding them back?

[Changes in Latitudes]

Should not all of the crew on a medevac flight be employed on the same basis and receive appropriate remuneration? In provinces such as Alberta pilots and medics wear the same uniform and work together as part of the same team to transfer a patient. However the unionised medics are on the government payroll while the non-union pilots are employees of various private contractors. This results in pay and conditions disparities, with the pilots earning considerably less than the medics.

Why do the non-union pilots put up with such a situation? Surely they should belong to the same union as the medics. Their pay should be at least the same as for government flight crews and they should receive the same benefits as the government employees that they work so closely with. Their pay should definitely be more than that for a medic. What is the comparative cost and how long does it take to become a King Air captain as against a medic? What are the comparative responsibilities?

Medevac pilots in such a situation have real reasons for joining the union. What is holding them back?

Excellent post, all very relevant questions, yet no relevant answers exist. The only answer, unfortunately, is because we continue to take it and there will always be someone willing to do it for less.

[bandaid]

The answer to the above question in B.C. is simple. I work for government and the pilots work for private industry. I am all for paying them the same as the medic. If it were my call they would be.

[PanEuropean]

Should not all of the crew on a medevac flight be employed on the same basis and receive appropriate remuneration?

For what reason? All of the crew on (for example) an Air Canada flight are not employed on the same basis or paid the same - the pilots are in a totally different world than the flight attendents who work in the cabin of the aircraft.

I don't mean to show any disrespect or criticism for your question, I'm only wondering what benefit (if any) would arise from having everyone on the same basis - the skills involved and the nature of the work are obviously quite different between the front and back ends of the aircraft, whether it is an airliner or a smaller plane carrying a medical evacuation.

Michael

[bandaid]

It is my experience that the pilots on the medevacs that I have been involved with over the past 30+ years go above and beyond when it comes to helping with our patients. About the only thing they don't do is treat the patients unless you consider making the flight as smooth as possible part of the patient treatment? I do.
To all those that I have had the priviledge to have flown with over the years, Thanks.