"Screwed" Said:
"It's always intrigued me about the U.S. EMS scene.
Taking off in snow storms. Taking off in fog. Flying S.E. machines at night.
WHY?"
"Taking off in snow storms." Huh? What? My RFM will allow flight into 'x' visibility, far less than any visibility minimum permitted and far less than a "snow storm", even here in Dixie. My program's air boss has flat forbidden any operation in falling snow, period. I suspect my Yankee friends have similar minimums, equates to 2nd to lightest green on radar. Again, hardly a snow storm.
"Taking off in fog." Well, okay, I guess anytime the METARs reports "BR", we're flying in fog. Minimums vary from 2-5 miles, depending. You're right, that's outrageous. Again, my guess is that our minimums are fairly typical.
"Flying S.E. machines at night." Guilty. How many accidents, much less fatalities gave engine failures caused here in the profit- crazed U.S. EMS industry? Very few.
Next, ALL the stats I've seen indicate a bare arguable advantage for light twins, if any exists at all. Look'em up, there is very little safety advantage in a light twin- unless you count pilot induced engine/system problems, positively exacerbated by twins.
I advise that you not take the media's reportage as reliable.
"Ned-Air2Air" said:
"Quote:
'The air medical community, the FAA, and NTSB have been working intensively and collaboratively for the past several years on improving air medical safety.'
Like that has made a difference."
Actually it has made a difference. It's just a glacial, if not geologic time frame for the process. As fast as the company can get'em, they're deploying new aircraft. Our newest fleet standard for VFR singles is- Dual Garmins, 500/400 combo with a MFD and something called a VEMD, never seen it, so I'm not certain what all it does; Terrain/obstacle warning of some sort (I'll know tomorrow or the next day. I'm being trained on the new suite in advance of our receiving it.); Data uplink for WX/traffic; NVG and compatible a/c lighting; The usual VHF stone age VHF nav radios (NO ADF!!!); Crash attenuating seats all-around; and, well you get the idea, lots of good stuff- better than the IFR twin I was in 10 years ago, less the autopilot.
We've been helmets and nomex for a while. Goggles are being and have been deployed as fast as we can get them, likewise the compatible airframes. It takes time to come up with or overhaul 300+ airframes to fit the standards set, plus the competition is snarfing the stuff up, too.
We have "big brother" staffed with aviators overseeing and waiting to advise us on issues enroute.
Pretty much everything the NTSB recommended in 2004 is happening.
My opinion is that this all helps, but isn't the silver bullet solution. Somehow, we have to tighten up the "loose nut behind the wheel". My pet peeve is scheduling for dummies- Dummies make the schedule, and the schedule makes more dummies, switching casually day to night. We need more peer review, we operate in isolation. Knowing that another pilot will see the sloppy approach, etc., and critique you mercilessly encourages good practice.
Rant mode off, time to review the literature on this new-fangled VEMD thing-a-muh-jig.