EMS minimums almost there

[stickwiggler80]

I was just wondering if the EMS minmums of 2000 hours are a deal breaker or not. I have met the other requrments except for ATP which I will be taking the practical next month. I have 1850TT all turbine. Anyone working for Air Methods can you help me out?

[Wally]

I don't know if 1850 TT is a deal breaker. If you have a program in mind, ask directly.

[stickwiggler80]

I don't know if 1850 TT is a deal breaker. If you have a program in mind, ask directly.

 

By program are you refering to job location? Also, I have tried contacting Airmethod's HR department but they seem to never answer the phone or call back.

 

Thanks for any input

[Wally]

Some bases hospital based and some are community based but part of a regional brand name, a "program". An area aviation manager (or whatever the job title of the week is) might oversee 1 big program, or a region with different types of bases. Satisfaction in this job is largely driven and individual to base and program. Hiring decisions are heavily program driven.

 

If you have a base or region picked out, contact the base(s) directly, introduce yourself and play it by ear, with an intent of getting local aviation manager's name. Some guys are crotchety, or busy and not interested in unproductive conversation. Most like talking to another pilot will try to help.

[helonorth]

I don't know if the total time is set in stone, but I can say the night is (you sound ex-mil, so it should not be a problem). A few years ago, I considered an Air Methods EMS job close to home. At that time they were more than happy to take me with less than their required night time. Not any more.

[stickwiggler80]

I don't know if the total time is set in stone, but I can say the night is (you sound ex-mil, so it should not be a problem). A few years ago, I considered an Air Methods EMS job close to home. At that time they were more than happy to take me with less than their required night time. Not any more.

 

I am ex-mil my flight hours look like this

 

Total Time

1839

Bell 206 B-3

90

Actual Instrument

36

Pilot in Command

1193

Sikorsky S-70/UH-60

1711

Hooded Instrument

110

Second in Command

535

Mountain >5000PA

427

Night

142

Last 12 Months

375

Instruction Given

322

Night Vision Goggle

476

ASEL

7

Turbine

1832

Cross-Country

598

[JDHelicopterPilot]

If I read this right, your total time is 1839, night is 142. Most companies won't take less than 150 hrs night but want much more than that. The reason is, the majority of accidents happen at night and are much more likely to be fatal. That is based off of years of accident statistics.

 

The company I work for (REACH Air Medical) has minimums of 3000 total time, 1500 PIC and 500 night. I was hired with more than those hours except for my night time which was 300 hours.

 

If a company wants, and likes the applicant then they can bring someone on with less than the posted requirements. Just remember to try to get as close to them as you can since you are competing against other pilots for the same job.

 

One of the easiest, quickest ways to get a job is via a friend that works where you would like to work. Networking is huge in this industry. As an example, I have worked (including as a CFI) for 5 companies. Of those 5 I got the job at 3 of them because I knew and was recomended by someone already working there. The other two I got by sending a resume, following up in person which turned into a "informal" interview.

 

In addition to Air Methods, look at Med-Trans. They often hire many former Military pilots.

Edited March 1, 2012 by JDHelicopterPilot

[BH206L3]

Apply for Employment let them tell you no, seems to me with Nigh Vision experience and programs going that way, it might work for you. If not, well all it cost you was the effort to apply and make a phone call or two. I have gotten every job I ever had in aviation by sending a resume and making a call to follow up on that resume usually a week to ten days. If you need more total fight time go down to the gulf , Vegas or Hawaii for a year doing tours or what have you. Night time, there is not all that much of it going on, out side of EMS and most programs don't fly a lot either.

[SBuzzkill]

If I read this right, your total time is 1839, night is 142. Most companies won't take less than 150 hrs night but want much more than that. The reason is, the majority of accidents happen at night and are much more likely to be fatal. That is based off of years of accident statistics.

 

The company I work for (REACH Air Medical) has minimums of 3000 total time, 1500 PIC and 500 night. I was hired with more than those hours except for my night time which was 300 hours.

 

If a company wants, and likes the applicant then they can bring someone on with less than the posted requirements. Just remember to try to get as close to them as you can since you are competing against other pilots for the same job.

 

One of the easiest, quickest ways to get a job is via a friend that works where you would like to work. Networking is huge in this industry. As an example, I have worked (including as a CFI) for 5 companies. Of those 5 I got the job at 3 of them because I knew and was recomended by someone already working there. The other two I got by sending a resume, following up in person which turned into a "informal" interview.

 

In addition to Air Methods, look at Med-Trans. They often hire many former Military pilots.

 

Does that 500 night include NVG or is that unaided? His "night" portion is just night unaided, as you can see he has 476 hours of goggle time on top of that night time.

[JDHelicopterPilot]

Sorry been away. According to the FARs (FAA interp.) NVG (aided time) can also be logged as night time.

 

Having said that, it varies by company if they perfer all or part of their night time requirement to be aided or not. Most if not all will hire someone with no NVG time. Companies that want a specific amount of unaided time will often post how much unaided vs aided time they want.

 

Keep in mind that just because they post these requirements doesn't mean they won't hire at less than those which they have posted. If you are close to the times they want you can give it a try. If you are far from meeting their requirements then I would wait until you are closer.

[Gomer Pylot]

All flight time between a half hour after sunset and a half hour before sunrise can be logged as night time, regardless of any other conditions. It makes no difference if you use NVGs, are IFR, receiving dual instruction, flying cross country, or anything else. If it's dark, you can log night time in addition to whatever other conditions may apply. However, if you're counting the time for night currency, it has to be between an hour after sunset and an hour before sunrise. The extra half hour can be logged as night, but can't be counted for currency. The FARs can be tricky.

[JDHelicopterPilot]

You are correct Gomer. I brought that up because some pilots for what ever reason think they can not log NVG time as night time. This is important for post Military guys as they now tend to have a lot of NVG time but very little unaided.

[ChprPlt]

I'm just getting into the EMS world. How do you log your NVG time? separate it out from night flight time?

 

 

thanks

[jimbo2181]

Any time you fly at night log night time. Any time you fly nvgs log it as nvg. Then if someone wants to know your unaided time subtract your nvg time from night time.

[Gomer Pylot]

Our company system doesn't actually keep track of night time, it has entries for night unaided and NVG time. You have to add the two together manually to get your total night time. There are several ways to do it, but Jimbo's method makes the most sense, at least to me. I have to live with what the company provides, at least for its system. In my logbook, if I were still maintaining one, I would have columns for night, and for NVG, as well as every other condition I could think of. PIC, SIC, weather, cross-country, rotorcraft, etc. Obviously you can't add every entry across and get your total time, but that's not the point, and never was.

Edited April 9, 2012 by Gomer Pylot

[JDHelicopterPilot]

I do the same as Jimbo. I also have a column to log my HNVG operations for currency. I did this as an easy way to show my currency and NVG landings total as well.

[ChprPlt]

Ok thanks guys!

[Five0]

Yeah but doesn't that CAMTS bs pretty much force the operators to follow the hour requirements? I have a couple thousand piston hours from flying pipeline in the 300c and R44 and very little turbine time. But I don't really see where turbine experience is a safety issue. Flying is flying. Especially when you leave the pattern and are flying actual commercial work. I've spent many hours flying among the trees and wires in Tx and La in the summer heat. I don't think it would be any more difficult in a turbine.

[ChprPlt]

Yeah Five0 CAMTS does require it. I agree with you about there not being a difference between piston/turbine. Before I could get into EMS I had to have the 500 turbine.

[Gomer Pylot]

One option might be to work for an operator that doesn't care about being CAMTS certified. CAMTS has no regulatory authority, it's just a money-making scam.

[Flying Pig]

Yeah but doesn't that CAMTS bs pretty much force the operators to follow the hour requirements? I have a couple thousand piston hours from flying pipeline in the 300c and R44 and very little turbine time. But I don't really see where turbine experience is a safety issue. Flying is flying. Especially when you leave the pattern and are flying actual commercial work. I've spent many hours flying among the trees and wires in Tx and La in the summer heat. I don't think it would be any more difficult in a turbine.

 

It would probably be easier!

[aeroscout]

Yeah but doesn't that CAMTS bs pretty much force the operators to follow the hour requirements? I have a couple thousand piston hours from flying pipeline in the 300c and R44 and very little turbine time. But I don't really see where turbine experience is a safety issue. Flying is flying. Especially when you leave the pattern and are flying actual commercial work. I've spent many hours flying among the trees and wires in Tx and La in the summer heat. I don't think it would be any more difficult in a turbine.

Starting a turbine is a lot different, and has some pitfalls. Transients can bite you, and the pitfall of a number of limits that can be easily exceeded by low time turbine pilots. Other than that you're probably right.

[Gomer Pylot]

Actual flying in a piston is more difficult, IME, because you have to keep fiddling with the RPM. In a turbine, you "set it and forget it". But only after you get it started. One second of inattention while starting a turbine can result in several hundred thousand dollars of damage. At the least, an overtemp requires a detailed inspection, and that isn't cheap. At the worst, a new engine, which may not be readily available, and requires a couple of days down time at best. Owners don't like that. That's really the reason they want turbine time. It's not really the flight hours that matter, but the number of starts, and you usually only get those by flying lots of hours.