Originally Posted by
VH-MLE
I flew aeromedical in WA in the PC12 - the 45, 47 & 47E (NG). The 45 AP would regularly drop out even in light turbulence (but could be reset by the pilot). Additionally, the pilot (& medical crew) always knew the patient priority.
Regretfully, management dictated that low priority patients would be transferred at night despite advice from the pilot body that low priority patients should only be transported by day. Management’s main concern is getting the patients collected, rather than the safety of aeromedical crews. In north-west WA, if the one & only engine stops, you’re likely to be in big trouble given the lack of available landing areas with lighting.
Unfortunately, one of these types of accidents will have to happen to drive change… Just my 2 lire’s worth of how things are done on other parts of the globe. VH-MLE
VH-, I manage and fly my own medivac jets, and I concur with you wholeheartedly. I enjoy the tasking, however, I often will amend a tasking schedule for common sense, while expeditious handling is desirable as a patient outcome, so is getting there in one piece, and in international medivac which is all that I do, a divert can be a major problem to the patients care. "Just say no" is easier to say than do, but is in the interest of the patient, medical team, and the operation. I have lost too many medical friends in helo and fixed wing medivac ops to conditions that were avoidable with some care. The regulations that apply to medivac and air ambulance are in general nonsense, and do not achieve anything more than dry ink by regulators, they do not reduce risks in what can be critical operations, often they increase risk.