Rescue companies need more experienced pilots

I wish to take nothing away from the sacrifice made by any and all pilots and crewmembers who have died in rescue-related crashes. I’ve talked about this situation several times with my family and friends, and it happens that my brother’s girlfriend’s father was a helicopter pilot in the Gulf War. He has applied to pilot positions in Medivac programs in Kentucky and Tennessee and was disappointed to find that the pay they offered was not nearly competitive enough to attract experienced pilots (or anyone with a family to support).

In my opinion, companies like PHI and Air Evac Lifeteam need to find more experienced pilots who are used to landing and taking off from dangerous areas. My father was a pilot in Vietnam and had to land and take off from hot landing zones. If medical evacuation companies will pay for experience, they would have pilots who know the risks involved in the most extreme conditions, so making a cliff-side rescue would be like child’s-play.

Jacob Rexroat

secondary math education senior