Air Ambulance

So how much will it cost the taxpayers because this dimwit woman, after she was already feeling ill and knew she had a fever took an airplane ride?


Forgetting for the moment others might get sick.


Too stupid for words comes to mind.

 

What's worse is that the CDC ok'd her to fly after she started a fever.

 

Phoenix Air is an interesting company. They operate a lot of Learjets with various pods attached to the wings as well.

In the case of this GIII, that is a specialized operation that has a remarkable containment unit. Check it out:

Inside the Flying Quarantine Ward Used to Transport Ebola Patients | WIRED

Honestly, it's probably overkill for ebola, but better safe than sorry.

 

I saw that airplane at a local airshow once - quite interesting. The complete lack of all but essential markings was rather odd, rather like those 737s out at McCarran.....

 

Australia's "Royal Flying Doctor Service" (RFDS) uses fleet of Pilatus PC-12 to service the far flung corners of this country. Inside Our Emergency Retrieval Aircraft | Royal Flying Doctor Service

The RFDS has been operating since 1928 Aviation History and Early Aircraft | Royal Flying Doctor Service developed out of the Presbyterian Churches "Inland Mission" (AIM) and involved eventual founder of QANTAS.

My mother worked for the AIM and as kid remember had an interesting plane tour of some outback and bush hospitals.

A couple of weeks ago I was in Switzerland and literally had to drive past the Pilatus factory and just *had* to stop and look but I knew factory tours are booked out year ahead but stopped to look at the outside anyway.

Security gate was sympathetic but nothing they could do for me to see further.. oh well, worth a try!
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PC-12s seem to be becoming the aircraft of choice for air ambulance, at least in the US. I think the relatively new airplane, big door, and fairly low operating costs are what decides it.

 

Also from what I understand STOL and dirt air strip operations are favourable factors down under for such as RFDS

 

I don't think it's much, if any, better than a Commander or a King Air for those sort of things. Heck, Commander is cheaper to operate as well. And has the advantage of a second engine. However, Commanders are old, no way around that.

 

How do the pilot and co-pilot get on and off the plane safely?

 

RFDS is one of the the oldest and largest aeromedical organisations in the world.
I'm pretty sure it's also the largest operator of PC12s in the world.

It's a cool job.

I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be able to transport an Ebola victim, though.
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Our section of the RFDS used to operate King Airs exclusively.

Then we went part King Air / part PC12.

Now, we have 14 PC12s and no King Airs.

Says it all.

 

why don't we go back and place the blame where it belongs?

 

They use the steps, and they take care when it's raining so they don't slip?

More seriously, I assume they use gloves. The patient is in a containment environment on and off the airplane, so the likelihood of one of the pilots getting infected is pretty close to zero. They load the patient through a big cargo door on the side of the airplane.

The Wired article above has some pretty good detail about all this.

That said, if it was me, I'd glove up before I left the cockpit.

 

The G-III with the cargo door was originally developed for the Danish Air Force. The Saudi Armed Forces got at least one too.

Jeff

 

I fly out of Jandakot, and seeing the fleet of PC-12s lined up is very impressive indeed.

 

Only slightly OT (but still talking a Pilatus fleet down under) here's a good lineup of PC-9 lined up at my training airport last week (Bathurst) for RAAF Roulettes performing for the big annual V8 car races.. (not my pic)
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I've an engineer who used to work at Pearce. 43 aircraft in a row he said. Best to remember which aircraft needed work before walking out!

 

Guy in red circle is a true genius LOL

 

You might find this interesting:

Guidance on Air Medical Transport for Patients with Ebola Virus Disease | Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever | CDC