AEROMED in the NT
Hello all
While I know nothing of the conditions and work in NZ, I will offer the following for MED flying in general.
After 4 years of twin turbine AEROMED flying in the NT, I never had to declare a mercy flight, though I did come close once due to no ground lighting and the use of cars. In our company, mercy flights were considered to be very last option and then only with the approval of the CP or deputy.
Don't expect to do a lot of flying, we did approx 400 hours a year including checks, and that was a at a busy base. The average flight is approx. 1 to 2 hours. But you can expect to go at any time of the day or night, sometimes several flights per duty. Frankly flying SP IFR at night into dirt strips with solar PAL or flares, in the NT is very high workload. Do that in the middle of the wet season and you are looking at some of the most demanding/fatuging/Interesting flying you will ever do.
It was impresed upon me very early by the SENIOR guys that you are the pilot doing your job to, and by the rules. There is never any circumstance in aeromed flying (MED1 or the such) where you RISK yourself or the medical crew. If anything you become quite conservative and work at an unhurried pace.
In that four years I remember turning down two flight due to WX (no alternate available) turning back on one occasion due TS over the dirt strip and sevaral wait for the next crews due to duty times. Having said that I have heard of a 19 hour duty and done several 14 hour tours myself, all with the blessing of ops and senior crew.
The moral of all aeromed flying " You are the Taxi/Ambulance service, NOT the RESCUE/First aid service, don,t become the next victim"
Great job if you can get one.
Richo