Becoming an Air Ambulance pilot - am I dreaming?
'Dreaming of being a pilot', didn't we all, all those years ago?
I know I did when standing in the school playground, as a youthful 14 year old watching an RN Gazelle land on our school football pitch. "One day I'll fly one of those", I remember saying to Mr McMillen the science teacher stood next to me. "Of course you will 'Sid' ", was his reply.
Nine years later, there I was on an Observers course at Wallop and 4 years from then, APC and 'Wings'. 34 years later and here I am, still looking youthfully at the aircraft in the hangar that I now fly.
Who would have thought way back then, that from the dream on the school playground I would
still have that feeling stood in the hangar tonight. Dreams can and do come true.
However Pittsblerke, as mentioned earlier, time is not on your side.
From a civi side of things I don't really know how long it will take to get the required hours/experience needed for a HEMS job, but you will be up against ex-military guys aged around 40 with many years of experience, all the desired thousands of hours and hoops gone through that are needed by the employers who can take their pick. Basic requirements are likely to be around 2000 TT, 400 twin, and 'relevant experience', however nothing is ever set in stone.
Time and money are the main factors.
You do say "Therefore, funding whatever training I would need isn't too much of an issue", however 1600 hours at £600/hr and 400 hrs at £1000 would come to around £1,360,000 . As far as the experience goes, where and how long it takes to get it is another question.
Never give up the dream, don't be disheartened by any civi/ex-mil arguments and as I've always said to people, whether its an Infantryman, Tankie or Gunner on a visit on exercise, a youth popping over on a static display or a PC on an awareness day
...."If you don't try you'll never know, and there'll be nothing worse in years to come for you to be sat there thinking...I wonder if I could have".
All the very best
SS
Still that 14 year old at heart, but with greyer hair and a rounder physique.