EMS Pilot Flying Experience

[eurocopter beans]

Hi All,

Can anyone tell me what pilot flying experience is required by HEMS operators / regulatory authorities. Do the requirements differ widely from country to country or is there a blanket minimum standard of experience required to undertake the HEMS role?

EB

[Jack Carson]

It varies in the US but the baseline requirements are:
Commercial Pilot with instrument rating
1500 flt hrs total time
1000 flt hrs turbine
100 flt hrs - Night

[skadi]

See App. 1 to JAR-OPS 3.005 (d)

skadi

[eurocopter beans]

Thanks JC, thats lower than I thought it would be. Is the 1500hrs RW time only or can FW time count towards it?

[Jack Carson]

The 1500 hours is rotary wing time and the night time has to be un-aided.

[sherpa]

1500 hrs total might get you ‘an’ EMS job in the US. A 100 hrs night time flying an ENG ship around a metro area or following a Hwy from point A to point B is not exactly the experience you should have under your belt to do scene calls at night.
The more desirable EMS positions, even in the US, require a lot more experience than that. More like 5000 hrs PIC, multi, NVG, short haul, hoist, IFR…and for those higher paying positions operators can pick and choose.
Flying EMS not the place where you gain much experience. You should bring it with you.

Just my two cents

[tottigol]

Perhaps, but 1500 hrs and 100 night (somewhere) will get you 75% of the jobs in the US.....Oh, and the ability to never say no (whatever the industry various "customer led safety committees" profess to the opposite).
In reality, pay and job desirability are normally inversely proportional in an otherwise just plain underpaying industry.

[Bladecrack]

UK minimums (major AA/HEMS operator)

1500 Rotary TT
500 Twin
50 night

Low level onshore experience and a valid type rating/IR are a bonus too.

BC

[AlfonsoBonzo]

Anyone have any info on requirements for EMS pilots in mainland Europe, i.e Germany, France, Austria etc and what the pay/roster is?

[grumpytroll]

Tot my good man, just turned one down today. No questions asked. Not sure where your coming from with that.

Cheers

[Suchyy]

For HEMS operations:

1000 Total PIC
500 PIC Heli

or

1000 Co-pilot HEMS operations
500 SPIC Heli
100 PIC Heli

Additionally 500h in environment as close as possible to future HEMS operations environment.

I don't really know what are the minimums for EMS because these operations aren't popular in Poland and if there is a need it is done by regular HEMS pilots - cheaper compared to hiring 2 pilots HEMS and EMS.

[SASless]

Turn them down and have a Med Crew or Administrator get their Nose out of Joint and see how long that lasts Grumpy!

One can say "No!" when it is a "No Brainer!" but wait until it is a bit iffy.....one of those you make when you sense Fog is going to form but there is no report of Fog in the weather report or in sight as you peer through the window at the helipad.....but there are the nice pretty halo's around the Parking Lot lights.

[Aerobot]

My company has a policy of never asking explanation from a pilot who turns down a flight. Not only do I not have to document why I turned it down, I have no means of doing so apart from any personal notes I might take, which I have no reason to do.

My medical people know why I turned it down - if it's not obvious - because I tell them about the dewpoint spread, the temperature and which way it is going, the pressure...besides: these are people who survived the previous vendor and are therefore minded to appreciate a pilot who says it's not good enough and he's not going to drag them out there to "just give it a try."

The program manager may get his knickers in a twist, but so far he hasn't made any waves with me about turndowns and knows the company policy regarding second-guessing the pilots.

And last: having somebody mad at us is one of the things we're paid for. The only control we might have is over whether or not they're mad at us for the right things. I've told my crews that I'd prefer they were mad at me for turning down a flight than mad at me for taking it.

[AlfonsoBonzo]

Thanks Suchyy

[Bellrider]

In good old germany:
if you want to be PIC in hems operations

1500h total
500 h hems (collected as co pilot or hems similar flight hours, that means experience in low lever flights or many landings in confide areas; although flight instructor hours)
50h night ops