Yep, I called out “Launch CareFlight” on the radio more than once during the years I worked as a paramedic in Fort Worth.

An amazing service which has saved many lives but also seen a fair number of lives lost each year. We once landed 11 helicopters in 77 minutes at my old hospital following a 2 vehicle crash involving a 15 passenger van and 3 folks in the other vehicle. Ironically the van was transporting several members of a local aeromedical corporation. Thankfully no major injuries but still a scary time. Helicopters from all over the region responded to that accident. Sadly about two months later one the crews that responded to that accident from a neighboring region went down with the crew that came to our facility two months prior. Unfortunately there were no survivors of that crash.

Since we're on the topic, here is a MedFlight crew picking up a critical patient about a week or so ago. I just happened to be in the area so I got some good shots of them during the process.

In the ER we always handled transport from helo to the ER. Lots of night takeoffs and landings. Great pilots and crew

Nice photos Ryan. I took a couple of the Air Care chopper but without flash on my phone so did not come out good.

We train with UC Air Care once a year. They fly to our primary landing zone (we have two alternate LZ's, just in case) Last year we made a change, we trained at night.

As a small volunteer department, we do not have to call them often, once every two years or so.
We have never needed to call them after dark.

Evening training added a new dimension for all of us and we are better prepared, should we need them in the evening.

quote:

Originally posted by sns3guppy:
I've flown air ambulance and medevac for four different operators over the years.

THANK YOU very much for your service. I was fortunate enough to fly ride along with two operators and participate in one dust off rescue while I was in law enforcement.

While working at a local airport I fueled many medevac helos. I worked night shift and was the nearest airport to downtown Akron. Every single crew was friendly and the upmost professional. Formed a great friendship with several pilots.

Unfortunately my son David was also a dust off patient. The sound of the helo approaching let me know he was in the best hands available.

I *almost* rode in one as a patient once. A helicopter was dispatched for me, following a parachute failure into a high-angle area on a mountain side. A second request came for the helicopter, and when they enquired about my condition, I was reported as a fatality. The helicopter went to the next scene. I woke up in intensive care, after a ground ride and a long extraction on foot.