If the NT Govt use the "Aeromed expert" to draw up the new tender then forget about the PC12.

Without going into SE vs ME and the phobias that some pilots and nurses suffer, it would be a shame not to consider the PC12.

You certainly get a lot more value for your dollar.

After all, the NT Govt already own two PC12s that the pollies regularly use.

what would it be like to be in a pc12 in the middle of the monsoon season with all that lightning around?
who knows the size of the patients these days maybe a bigger a/c could be called for just like the NSW air ambo service.
I know KA stretcher lifter is capped at 180kg what is the PC12's?
the amount of medical quip carried these days could also justify a bigger cab?...
good luck to the boys and girls at Pearl I hope it all works out for you.

I would think there would be little chance anything other than a PC-12 will be chosen. The fact that the NT Gov't already use them means they endorse them for the operating environment. The current crews should have no probs with getting hired with any new operator. The only thing that may tip it in favour of the B200 is it's performance advantage (B200GT 305kts).

This could be interesting, either the contract will be re-negotiated with the current operator behind closed doors or it will be up for grabs. RFDS SC will certainly be interested but don't rule out SE, QLD and Western OPS. I am sure there are many private company's that would love to get a leg in on a state aeromed contract as well.

SN

Knowing the Pearl B200 boys there is fat chance they would hang around for a PC12 gig, most of them are pushing over 120K per year with allowances on the B200 and I doubt they will get the same conditions if another operator comes in and undercuts Pearls tender, especially if it's using an aeroplane which the pay scale is generally less.

There have also been plenty of PT6 shutdowns in the territory, many of those are fresh in the minds of the King Air boys, I highly doubt they will endorse a PC12 as good as the aeroplane might be! It would be a pretty lonely place at the pointy end of a PC12 during a wet season night approach if she coughed a few blades out the back!

Green Goblin
Wow thats big dough! Better than any RFDS, PC-12 or B200 pilot I know. Should a new operator be awarded the run I would doubt those dollars would be in the offering. What tends to happen is current employees will be made redundant and then have the chance of being re-employed on new conditions, not saying this will happen, but it has in the past.

Agree with you on the merits of a twin Vs single but then again i'm a pilot not a number cruncher.

Man thats good money, I hope they get to stay on it!

SN

120k, you sure? :confused:

Or someone could get Fenton's old Moth outa the old hanger down at Katherine and start back with the grass roots!

That one is better than the current fleet, bit small but what the hay!

'UD' I didn't mention the med fitout to the cost of a 'green' Beech, I didn't want to make this thread a total Beech lover(can't see why not though:E) All up at 2days prices a Beech flight-line ready in med is around $8.5 Mill, if there are 5X news ones about to magically appear then somebody has been very good at keeping it top secret. The Aero med industry isn't too secretive, everybody knows everybody's elses business.

'GG' $120K?...hmmmmmm, nah not even for that would I want to be 'behind' the engine of the plane I fly:ok:

As some have said most likely would be the PC 12 for the NT contract purely based on $$$'s, not safety.

The Pearl guys deserve every cent they get, they can have that stormy wx up there all to themselves thanks very much:ok:

Wmk2

No :D

Never let the truth get in the way of a good story - Chopper Reid

Sometimes you've got to put the R in Pprune!

Now how 'bout them 5 King Airs?, I heard off the Gove refueler (Townsville refuelers mothers uncles grandson) that they were arriving on our shores powerless, and due to the fleet of grounded 441's unique to Australia, have decided for fleet commonality and cost effectiveness to have ex 441 331's slung over the wings under a cost reduction initiative ordered by the NT government. Rumour also has it that the following PC12's will have the same modification.

Ah, just get vans and hire braver pilots. Bloody girly girls. :E
Save a ton o bucks and can afford to pay drivers a real wage with a High risk component as an incentive or extra. :ok:

Whats the average sector length?

As long as a piece of string!

and that string is usually exactly twice half of its length. :}

If its such a wide range of sector lengths then the B200 GT would be the way to go!
SN

Based in Katherine in the mid 90's, it was rare to do a sector much longer than an hour in the Kingair.

The Nomad was a different story. :{

Maybe you could ask one of the Derby RFDS pilots, they seem to cope.

No, actually he is in Mt Isa and rides a VT1000 smokes B+H smoothies and answers to many/most names you might think of at any one time.... No word of a lie!:ok::E

Love your work Rob! :ok:

Sounds like a typical NT government cockup! Is there a crocodile involved?

If Pearl tendered with old Kingairs, why didn't the dopey consult/government depatrment pickup on that point and make all tenderers use B200's less than 10 years old?

Pearl and Skywest have always provided a very good service to the NT over the years, but if the NT Government don't put up the cash to fund new aircraft, then Pearl aren't really to blame for tendering with old Kingairs.

Stationair8
 

Actualy they did tender with new Kingairs!!

From memory there were four options

*New B200's:ok:
*2nd hand B200's (low time & age):)
*PC12's:hmm:
*Refurb the current aircraft :sad:

The govt of the day (CLP I think) went for option 4 :ugh: