Jeff Warner wrote:
I just got home from a late flight and have a checkride in the morning, so I really have to get 'on it'. I will get back to this in a day or two when I can, I promise! That being said...
Checkride….. That conjures up only one thing, so I looked at your profile. Fixed winger here, but are you giving or taking a check ride? I had a desire to fly helicopters, but financially, it was out of the question.
Wingspar: Actually, taking a checkride. I'm in the process of transitioning over to a different program; I fly an air medical helicopter here in the Rocky Mountain region. Spent about 6 hours in the air today, including a night flight in the mountains til about a half hour ago. I'm beat!
That sounds like a great job. I never turn down a helicopter ride. I just watched a documentary just last night about a rescue on Mt. Hood in Oregon. An Air National Guard helicopter went down during the rescue at nearly 10,000 feet on the side of the mountain, and the whole thing was documented by a TV helicopter crew. A gust of wind caught them while they were hoovering over the patient about to pick up the patient. No one was seriously injured in the accident. I also have a close friend who flies a fixed wing air ambulance. He’s a CFII also. Kinda handy. I’ve know him since he was a 110 hour private pilot to now at over 4,000 hours, and all kinds of certifications.
Yes, I enjoy my job immensely. It's a great schedule, too: 12-hour shifts, 3 days, 24-hours off, then 3 nights, then six days off. Leaves quite a bit time for the kids, etc.
Oh yeah, I know about that crash... That was a really heavy PaveHawk that probably shouldn't have been up that high trying to do what they were doing. It was really lucky more people weren't hurt+!
