Helijobs.net and HEMS

[Astro]

So there's like 73 openings amongst 7 different companies on that site and it looks like they're all for HEMS pilots. Why so many? Does HEMS have a high turnover, or something?

[Wally]

There are some big operators in HEMS. Last time I looked at the two largest, the openings weren't an unusual ratio. Both were down from the previous check, I don't look very often. Some of the openings were in places where most people won't settle for a lifetime, for various reasons. The only reason I went HEMS was to be with the family, location was THE priority.

 

Further thoughts:

My previous employer (I'm retired) posts ALL openings on a public open position list even though many will be filled internally. Example- I believe there were three or four senior pilots interested in the position I left, so that posting was not a practical reality for new a hire. This procedure seems to multiply open positions, as the successive shuffling continues until the last more desirable seat is filled by internal movement and a new hire is placed in what will likely be a temporary position.

Finally, many of my HEMS peers are Vietnam vets, we're not getting any younger. EVERY single pilot pilot leaving my base in the last 10 years has been a Vietnam era vet, but that has only been a few, one every year and a half or two.

Edited September 15, 2016 by Wally

[Velocity173]

Approximately 1,500 HAA bases. 4 pilots per base. That's roughly 6,000 pilots working in HAA. 73 openings isn't all that much considering how many pilots we have and the growth of the industry just in the last few years.

Edited September 16, 2016 by Velocity173

[zippiesdrainage]

Plus I think the top three EMS companies are opening 3 or 4 new bases a year. So that's easily 50 new pilot jobs a year.

 

Plus most of the older guys have long since chosen an EMS base and settled down. I'm sure EMS has a higher consistency of older pilots than other areas of the industry. The guys slowly retiring are doing so from EMS.

Edited September 16, 2016 by zippiesdrainage