Natbangar
Current service are mid 70's machines
Are you sure about that? A quick check of the CASA aircraft register revealed the following.
VH-NTE BB-529 1979
VH-NTG BL-09 1980
VH-NTH BL-12 1980
VH-NTS BL-30 1981
mostly currently unservicable.
Not sure how you would know that but I will take your word for it. The King Air is a great aircraft but like any aircraft of that type is fairly maintenance intensive especially in the tropics. Incidently it doesn't take much to ground an IFR aeromed aircraft pressurisation problems, airconditioning & wx radar come to mind items that ordinarily wouldn't be a problem for other airwork or charter operations. I have also flown King Airs with significantly less hours than these aircraft from Norway which believe it or not went U/S on a regular basis. So I hope Ausjet have good maintenance support because they will need it.
Is the service still going to be run by a provider with a solid 25 year history of the same? Yes
Which provider are you talking about CareFlight NSW or AusJet? If it's CareFlight NSW then I know about their experience in the rotary world but how much fixed wing aeromed experience in the NT do they have? Likewise how much aeromed experience do Ausjet have?
More to the point what checks & balances have been put in place to ensure that another Norfolk Is ditching fiasco doesn't occur & who faces the music if things go pear shaped?
Have any of you owned a GA operation or run a vital health service?? Didn't think so............
Yes to the first ques & no to the second, but have worked as an aeromed pilot. So I have a bit of an idea of the size of the task ahead & take my hat off to CF & AJ for taking it on.
Good luck Careflight, well done for stepping up where no one else will.
Did any other operator get look in?
ryvita interesting first post
All this is very interesting, however the reality is this supposed company with no money has just purchased 4 late model Kingairs from the largest Aeromed operator in Europe that are 20 years newer than the existing service. Not bad from a company with no money????
If these "late model King Airs" are as others are saying 93 models then 20 years newer is a bit of an embelishment don't you think?
Didn't these guys have 727's and 2 DC9's ?????
Not sure what the relevance of that is on a topic about aeromedical services?
People the facts are this:
A bit lite on in the facts department most of what you said has been common knowledge for some time.
As a taxpayer & potential end user of aeromed services I have very serious concerns about the way the aeromed industry is going, in general not just the NT, the Norfolk Is ditching & the Vic/TAS aeromed tender are cases in point.
I also have concerns how state & federal governments oversee contracts in general, the recent insulation debacle is but one example. The scheme was fairly hastlily conceived and poorly implemented with not much oversight and the results speak for themselves
I sincerely hope that all goes well up there & my concerns are unfounded.