EMS Standardization or Lack there Of
We can argue day versus night, single versus multi-engine and single versus duel pilot operations until the cows come to roost. Some argue that the airline industry is so much safer than EMS because of the sophistication of the equipment they operate and the fact that they are multi-piloted. When comparing the two operations the one element that stands out, is the complete standardization of airline operations. Airline pilots follow a very regimented set of procedures from the time they arrive in the cockpit until they depart at the end of the flight. This level of standardization was relatively easy to establish due to the much repeatability of their flights.
Now look at the situation surrounding the EMS operation in the US. EMS in the US could be called almost anything but standardized is not one of them. Like I have said in the past, my experience with EMS operations is relatively limited when compared to most on this site. Having said that, I was fortunate to have had flown single engine VFR in a mountainous region of the SW and SPIFR in the flat lands of the SE United States. In all cases, I took it upon myself to establish a set of standard rules which I flew to. These were not taught to me but rather developed by me to keep my mediocre butt out of trouble. Early in my career a very wise instructor once told me “always fly two mistakes higher than you feel you may need should something unusual happen”. Here are my rules of the road and they served me quite well into healthy retirement:
1. I flew the same profile day and night. I would climb at best ROC airspeed directly to 1000 ft above the highest obstruction in my route of flight and that established my cruise altitude. I did receive many a comment form fellow pilots about why I could always be found up in the rarefied air while they cruised along Hwy 60 at 500 ft AGL
2. If I didn’t have the weather to accomplish this, during the flight including the return leg, I didn’t launch. Was I ever questioned concerning this “YES” did I care “NO”
3. While flying VFR in an autopilot equipped aircraft, I always let the autopilot fly the machine anytime I was above 500 ft AGL. Rule one still applied. In this case any response to IIMC was nothing more than turning the heading bug 180 and contacting the appropriate controlling authority. Funny thing is the autopilot never knows is in IMC.
Other may have many such guide lines that have served them well over the years and I would hope that they share them.