ems Archives - The Rotary Wing Show Podcast

October 17, 2017

RWS 60 – 20 Crew Resource Management Diamonds with Randy Mains

helicopter crew resource management randy mains

As helicopter systems, engineering and processes continue to get safer, the human component becomes the focus to further improvements in accident rates. Randy Mains shares his 20 CRM Diamonds in this interview.

Randy Mains was 22 years old when he deployed to Vietnam to fly UH-1H Hueys. On return to the US with over 1000 combat flight hours and a Distinguished Flying Cross (Randy shares the story of this in the interview) he found the US helicopter market flooded with other returned aircrew.

A night with a friend over a shared case of Australian beer resulted with Randy flying in Australia on remote outback cattle stations before a stint in PNG.

Later, souring of Iranian international relationships saw Randy leaving a Bell instructor trainer position on the last civil flight out of Iran. Taking up an emergency medical services (EMS) pilot role in Texas then became the start of Randy’s long and continued focus in this part of the industry. It is where much of the focus of his books and CRM training efforts are focused.

In the US the EMS sector seems to have a high proportion of single engine, single pilot VFR/IFR operations compared with twin engine, two pilot IFR operations in other countries. He has had a number of close calls himself including inadvertent IMC (flying into cloud) and approaching to night flare lit sites with overhead wires.

Randy’s later experiences flying in the middle east and simulator check and training with pilots from around the world gave him the chance to see how EMS is done in other countries.

Since then Randy has returned to the US with a focus on reducing the EMS accident rate and with in the helicopter industry in general. Randy is a regular columnist with Rotorcraft Pro magazine, a speaker at medical and helicopter events, author and runs a Crew Resource Management Instructor course focused on helicopters.

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the show on Patreon
Crew Resource Management Instructor Course
Randy Main’s Website

crew resource management error chain — “Antennas Up” – a visual prompt to remaining vigilant and looking for a link in the error chain forming

Do you have a question for Randy about helicopter crew resource management or about something mentioned in the episode that you want to ask? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

December 4, 2016December 7, 2016

RWS 52 – Interview with Ken Vote Part 2

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helicopter pilot ken vote — After a career in the Royal Australian Navy including time in Vietnam, instructing and anti-submarine roles Ken Vote was one of Australia’s early experienced EMS pilots.

Landing in the urban jungle of inner Sydney is a far cry from dropping off SAS troops in the jungles of Vietnam – Ken Vote has done both in his career as a Navy and EMS helicopter pilot.

>> Listen to Part 1 of this interview here <<

Ken started his helicopter career with the Australian Navy, spent time in Vietnam, instructed in the military and had a career in the EMS world. He was one of the senior pilots during a counter terrorism readiness operation to oil rigs in Bass Strait, survived a live fire SAS killhouse training run where he played the role of a hostage and has also flown off Australia’s last aircraft carrier.

I was put in touch with Ken by Craig Bowman – Bowie is flying an EMS bird in Western Australia – which is possibly the largest EMS area of coverage in the world in terms of square kilometers – that might be a story for another time. In researching this interview I also got in touch with one of the volunteers at the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia who knew Ken – he indicated that Ken is not known for being reticent in sharing memories!!

So I hope you enjoy this interview. I have cut it into 2 episodes for length so this is Part 2 that you are about to hear.

CareFlight pilots when the Dauphin arrived.
“Bloke in dark suit is Ian Galt VICPOL who endorsed us.” Ken Vote on far right.

In one of Ken's Sydney based roles he would often need to land in the street with co-ordination of local police and ambulance services. — In one of Ken’s Sydney based roles he would often need to land in the street with co-ordination of local police and ambulance services. “Me blocking Pennant Hills Road for an hour or so HIRT A109 Power circa 2007”

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Links from this week’s episode:
Support the show on Patreon
The Cancel Sarwatch Podcast

Video – Wessex Helicopters Blade Unfolding on HMAS Melbourne
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Ken and a T28 trainer. NAS Whiting Field Pensacola Florida 1966.

A clipping from the Navy News on 24 November 1967 showing Ken in front of a TH 13M Bell Helicopter after his first helicopter solo.

A Detachment of Wessex 31Bs at RAAF East Sale, having just completed a morning practice session (Op Bursa) Source: Fleet Air Arm of Association of Australia

In Darwin during a training contract with the Australian Army. Ken Vote (2nd from left) Craig Bowman (center) - Craig put me in touch with Ken for the interview — In Darwin during a training contract with the Australian Army. Ken Vote (2nd from left) Craig Bowman (center) – Craig put me in touch with Ken for the interview

Do you have a question about Ken’s career or EMS flying that you want to ask? Be part of the conversation by leaving a comment below.

June 29, 2015July 1, 2015

RWS 32 – Helicopter Flight Paramedics with Bernie Walker

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Bernie Walker has been a helicopter flight paramedic in Canada for over 16 years.

Bernie Walker is a Flight paramedic working with STARS – which is the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service – an EMS organisation that covers most of Western Canada.

Bernie has been with STARS as a flight paramedic for over 16 years now and these days plays a big part in their educational programs. So he is someone again with heaps of experience in a helicopter role but this time from the back of the cabin.

I am guilty of making the interviews for the podcast very pilot centric which is just a factor of my own background and experience but I would love to represent a range of helicopter aircrew roles.

It just seems to be that loadmasters and aircrewmen keep ducking for cover when I try to corner them. 🙂

A STARS AW139 helicopter on the ramp. Photo: Calgary Sun

So I really enjoyed chatting to Bernie about the flight paramedic role as it stretches my knowledge of the industry. I’m not expecting to be in an EMS position any time soon but for those of you that might be then Bernie gives a really good insight into many of the considerations that the team in the back have to deal with.

If you listen between the lines so to speak I think you’ll also get value from the current best practice approach to critical patient care when its applied to how we tackle emergency or non-standard airborne situations.

We head into the interview with Bernie explaining the EMS coverage in Western Canada and the typical career progression into the helicopter flight paramedic role.

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Links from this week’s episode:
The STARS organisation website
World Helicopter Day

Video produced by STARS showing the different careers in the organisation
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A STARS BK117 decked out with medical equipment

Got a question for Bernie about the flight paramedic role or STARS? Be part of the conversation below. If you’ve listened to the episode then don’t forget to leave links to your favourite crew resource management / human factors resources below.

September 14, 2014April 11, 2015

RWS 8 – Helicopter EMS in Alaska with Lorena Knapp

Lorena Knapp flys EMS helicopters in Alaska

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Lorena Knapp talks about EMS operations and flying in Alaska on the Rotary Wing Show — Lorena Knapp on EMS flying in Alaska

Alaska is still largely wilderness and remote communities rely heavily on helicopter operations. Air Ambulance services like the one that today’s guest Lorena Knapp flies for can drastically reduce the time needed to get a patient to primary care given the terrain and ground conditions.

Find out about flying conditions in Alaska and get an insight into helicopter Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operations. Along the way we follow Lorena’s career progression to find out how she got her start and worked her way up to her current challenging position.

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01:12 Meet Lorena Knapp
02:30 Current role with Air Methods and location
04:30 Early flying experience with her dad
06:10 Helicopter training and getting licence
08:22 Hillsboro Aviation training and instructing
09:00 Oil and Gas in Gulf of Mexico
11:10 Tours – Juneau and Denali, Alaska
13:40 Moving into EMS
14:50 Air Methods organisation and history
18:00 EMS operations – Air Ambulance, VFR, NVGs, shifts
20:20 Medical crews and carrying patients, memorable calls
25:10 Really making a difference
26:20 Flying in Alaska
28:10 Terrain and heights
28:50 Day length changes, NVGs
30:45 Impact of weather
34:05 Cold weather ops
38:25 Sectional charts, GPS and navigation
39:55 Anchorage airspace classes
42:20 Helicopter industry operators
44:00 Getting a job in Alaska
44:50 Alaska highlights off hours
47:20 Helping people achieve dreams
49:45 Ninety-nines and other women aviation groups
52:53 Trainmorepilots.com
53:20 Best helicopter novels – send in your nominations

Lorena Knapp in the cockpit of her helicopter with Alaska scenery outside — View from the cockpit flying in Alaska in an Astar – no steam driven gauges here

Map showing the size of alaska against the rest of the united states — In the episode we talk about the size of Alaska. This graphic shows the size comparison with the rest of the United States.

Lorena’s TEDx Talk Video
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Links from this week’s episode:
Lorenaknapp.com – Lorena’s website
AirMethods
The Ninety-Nines, Inc., International Organization of Women Pilots
Whirly Girls

[Tweet “If we were not there, that guy would not now be alive #helicopters”]

[Tweet “Can sometimes log more night flying on the day shift than the night crews”]

[Tweet “The hydraulic fluid starts to get jelly-like at these temps #alaska”]

Got a comment or question about today’s show? Use the area below to leave your thoughts.