Manitoba Govt Air Services to be Privatised

[greygoose]

Just heard that skycare is 1 of 3 possibles for the medevac RFP. Anyone know who the other 2 are?

I can’t possibly see this being true. The Navajos will be a no go according to the RFP requirements. Aircraft need to be twin turbine at very minimum. Could you have heard SkyNorth perhaps? Heard from a couple folk they put together quite the package including a lot of heavily upgraded/new equipment. Plus I never knew this, but they are actually majority aboriginal owned.

[goingnowherefast]

Skycare has Merlins and Metros. They're twin turbine, but certainly no King Air.

[C-GGGQ]

Except Skycare has no metros in Manitoba, and their YAV base is too small to have them. So unless they also plan to open a new base somewhere.... Sky North makes more sense

[North Shore]

Just heard that skycare is 1 of 3 possibles for the medevac RFP. Anyone know who the other 2 are?

Fast and Keewatin?

[The Hammer]

Fast Air/Babcock and Perimeter or Keewatin?

[goleafsgo]

Does that mean missinippi is out of the running?

[greygoose]

I think there’s enough question marks and comments that don’t make sense to assume nobody really knows what’s going on yet.

[bcat737]

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their rampies / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

[digits_]

For their current 24/7 on call schedule abuse? Or at least decent shifts?

[greygoose]

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their rampies / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

This statement is true. If there is truth to them having the RFP then the Gov went pretty tame on the 5 year safety history/reports that was required to be submitted with the package. Did they not have a gear up and overrun within a matter of months a few years back? Both the fault of the crews? I recall seeing a mangled king air in bloodvein with tape over the logo and registration, lol.

[digits_]

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their rampies / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

This statement is true. If there is truth to them having the RFP then the Gov went pretty tame on the 5 year safety history/reports that was required to be submitted with the package. Did they not have a gear up and overrun within a matter of months a few years back? Both the fault of the crews? I recall seeing a mangled king air in bloodvein with tape over the logo and registration, lol.

To be fair, other operators have their issues as well. I wouldn't hold that against them.

[greygoose]

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their rampies / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

This statement is true. If there is truth to them having the RFP then the Gov went pretty tame on the 5 year safety history/reports that was required to be submitted with the package. Did they not have a gear up and overrun within a matter of months a few years back? Both the fault of the crews? I recall seeing a mangled king air in bloodvein with tape over the logo and registration, lol.

To be fair, other operators have their issues as well. I wouldn't hold that against them.

I guess that’s a fair statement. I’m only aware of the companies in province that put bids in but no knowledge of anyone else from outside of province who may have put in. You’d be correct that everyone in province has had their moments. My understanding is the Gov was only interested in the last 5 years of history so there is one or two companies who’ve had less major incidents in that timeframe than fast/vanguard.

[digits_]

Actually, they might not consider those 2 accidents: they happened under the fast air OC. The medevac contract application happened under the vanguard OC. They haven't had any accidents soo far.

[greygoose]

Actually, they might not consider those 2 accidents: they happened under the fast air OC. The medevac contract application happened under the vanguard OC. They haven't had any accidents soo far.

Well in that case they should be knocked out even quicker because the company needs 5 years experience doing medevac service under the OC.

[digits_]

Actually, they might not consider those 2 accidents: they happened under the fast air OC. The medevac contract application happened under the vanguard OC. They haven't had any accidents soo far.

Well in that case they should be knocked out even quicker because the company needs 5 years experience doing medevac service under the OC.

Hehe, interesting...

[co-joe]

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their rampies / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

Seems about right with governments now a days. 6 months before the AB health contract was awarded, Canwest had already purchased the aircraft for it.

[Medevac1]

News to me.. I know many pilots and others at FastAir /Vanguard and they have not said once that they won the contract.

[Medevac1]

No one has won the contract yet. There is a lot of speculation being made by many. I know many pilots at FA/VG and not one of them has said they won it. So some individuals need to stop fueling the conspiracy theory.

[mmm..bacon]

Knowing some guys in the program, I’d think that they’d need to keep it pretty secret until they’ve decided exactly what is going to happen. My understanding is that Lifeflight is walking a very fine line in terms of personnel; announcing a shutdown for, say, a month down the road might end up with a service that falls apart the next week as guys find other jobs..

[kvny16r]

Through the grapevine, I heard the doctors in the Manitoba medevac program won't fly unless it's a jet....

[Pacqing]

Would a Citation 11 wide door do the job? B.C. Govt used these for years though I don't know the cost structure compared to the King Air.

[fish4life]

Would a Citation 11 wide door do the job? B.C. Govt used these for years though I don't know the cost structure compared to the King Air.

MB government already runs their own Citations, the problem is they run them 604 not 703/4 so they can’t meet the landing distance on the chart when the commercial operation penalty is applied.

[greygoose]

Through the grapevine, I heard the doctors in the Manitoba medevac program won't fly unless it's a jet....

I can easily see the docs getting dumped by the gov’t. Mb is one of the few places that actually fly with a physician anyway. From some of my friends who’ve done lifeflight contract work, it sounds like they are usually hung up on waiting for docs to arrive anyway when a call comes in. RFP requires a 30 min wheels rolling time...Under the current model there’s no way that’ll be achievable if the carrier is always waiting for the doc to arrive from home or hospital. I’ve heard the wait can be anywhere from 1 hr to them holding all night on a call trying to pass it to a basic carrier but going anyway cause all basics refuse the call because of the seriousness. From the stories I’ve heard it sounds like life flight shot themselves in the foot by always trying to pass calls on to basics when they should have really been going. A King Air 250/350/200 with Blackhawk upgrades wouldn’t be far behind in the current model, there’d be no comparison in response time if a new model was put in place where all crew (including doc if they keep them) was at hangar on standby.

[flyinhigh]

I'd be very surprised if any company would run their mouth about that kind of information prior to being released.

As for the pay being shitty, I didn't realize a first year king air Captain making $79,000 base plus .30 per mile after 7500 was shitty. Almost very one I know that works there is quite happy and has never said they got paid shitty. For the how they operate, I don't know any pilot that has worked there and complained about anything other than the behind the clock flying, but if thats bad and dangerous, I suggest you retire now.

So Vanguard Air Care is running around telling everyone they have the RFP Ambulance contract (however it has not been announced). They are making a concerted effort to poach AMS medic staff from other carriers using this statement even though it is not true - real greasy!

They even have their ramps / internal staff approaching pilots and AMS staff from other companies as they are offering a huge headhunting bonus to attract staff - typical how they operate ... too bad their wages are still poor.

[digits_]

For the how they operate, I don't know any pilot that has worked there and complained about anything other than the behind the clock flying, but if thats bad and dangerous, I suggest you retire now.

If you need night coverage, get a shift system in place like ornge does. The way crews are flying now duty day wise (not just there but at every mb medevac operator) is insane.

3 years and 10 months to go I believe? But who is counting...