WHAT WE DO
Once the patient has been delivered to hospital the pilot will prepare the aircraft for the next job while the paramedics are handing over in A&E
with any aviation warnings which may affect the day’s operation. The paramedics then discuss their equipment and drugs and anything extra that is planned for the day, such as visitors or observers. Half an hour, of busy activity, after the start of the shift the aircraft is declared available to ambulance control. Now the waiting begins… The time rarely drags as
there are a multitude of tasks and activities which need to be done to keep the base running smoothly. Additionally, time is spent both by the paramedics and pilots on professional development (reading and revising manuals and procedures to make sure we are operating the aircraft safely, efficiently and within all the relevant rules and regulations). We often have visits to the airbase, which are hosted
by the Charity. These can be individuals or groups that may have raised money or, in many cases, patients and families who have used the service in person.
PHONE RINGS At any time, ambulance control may ring with an incident for us to attend. On hearing the phone, the crew briefly meet to confirm that it is a job (and not a double glazing salesman or wrong number calling) before the pilot walks out to start the aircraft. One of the paramedics will be identifying details of the task, while the other will monitor the aircraft engines during start. By the time all the details have been taken and the paramedic joins the rest of the crew, the aircraft will be ready for flight. This is usually within three minutes of the phone going. Take-off checks are completed and we are off! While
flying to the scene, the pilot is assisted with navigation by the front-seat paramedic. The rear-seat paramedic will mark up any extra maps, stay in contact with ambulance control (or any ground units on scene) and be planning the patient’s care.
ON SCENE On scene, once the paramedics have left the aircraft to tend to the patient, the pilot’s priority is to make sure the aircraft is ready to receive the patient and to plan the flight to whichever hospital will be appropriate for their needs. If the helicopter is relatively close to the patient, the pilot can assist the paramedics by helping to carry the medical equipment needed and by ensuring the path back to the helicopter is accessible for a stretcher. If he is not needed for this task, the pilot will often spend their time talking to the general public that may have gathered.
Air ambulance pilots do not receive medical training – their primary role is to fly patients and crew safely to hospital
It sometimes surprises people to know that the pilot does not receive any medical training. This is because, once the patient and paramedics are back at the aircraft, the pilot’s primary job is to fly the aircraft to hospital as safely as possible.
HOSPITAL Once the patient has been delivered to hospital the pilot will prepare the aircraft for the next job while the paramedics are handing over in A&E. This involves putting equipment away, cleaning up and catching up on the paperwork before the paramedics return. When they do, unless the aircraft is re-tasked, we will fly back to base. The job is not finished there. Firstly we refuel the
aircraft and check that it is still serviceable for the next job. Inevitably, before walking in to the hangar, boots will have to be cleaned of mud (and, on occasions, cow muck), before mission and fuel log can be completed. There will then be a period where the crew debrief and reflect on the job, all the while being ready to stop what they are doing and react if another task comes in.
WEATHER CONDITIONS In good weather the aviation decisions can be very easy, with simple, direct flights to the scene and hospital being carried out. Sadly we don’t always have blue skies and the weather can have a major impact on our ability to carry out the job. This can mean that take-off is slightly delayed while the latest weather reports and forecasts are consulted, which can force circuitous routes to be taken or can actually prevent the crew from getting to the scene and force them to abort and return to base. At the end of the shift, the aircraft is towed back into
the hangar and handed over to the base engineer for any maintenance that might be needed. With no two days ever being the same, due to the variety of incidents we attend and the differing weather conditions, it’s time to get changed, cycle home and wonder what tomorrow will bring.
9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52