Survival Flight

[E tank]

To play Devil's advocate many of our older pilots talk about the glory days when our bases flew 100+ flights a month, frequently hot swapped pilots, and flew in weather minimums 1/3 of what they are today, without NVGs and did not have near the frequency of incidents that occur today. Although the profession has evolved and safety has improved I think the issues are much bigger than those practices being inherently dangerous.

I hate to say it but I think the quality and experience of pilots has drastically declined over the years. You can argue the same with medical crew.

Way more programs than there used to be even 20 years ago. If HEMS is elite now (and it still mostly is) it was uber elite then.

 

[FiremanMike]

To play Devil's advocate many of our older pilots talk about the glory days when our bases flew 100+ flights a month, frequently hot swapped pilots, and flew in weather minimums 1/3 of what they are today, without NVGs and did not have near the frequency of incidents that occur today. Although the profession has evolved and safety has improved I think the issues are much bigger than those practices being inherently dangerous.

I hate to say it but I think the quality and experience of pilots has drastically declined over the years. You can argue the same with medical crew.

Survival flight suffered horrific pressure to fly with atrocious oversight and a horrible culture that continues to this day.

That was probably back when the bulk of the pilots were returning Vietnam pilots.. I had the awesome opportunity to sit in the back with a Vietnam pilot once, he was amazing and I trusted him immensely.


As for SF, I hope this gives the attorneys for the families all the documentation they need to bankrupt that company.

 

[FiremanMike]

The sad truth is that there was less than a year of HEMS experience combined on that aircraft. Add that to a company with a horrendous pressure to fly to try to put the other two local companies out of business, this crash was inevitable.

 

[Jon]

To play Devil's advocate many of our older pilots talk about the glory days when our bases flew 100+ flights a month, frequently hot swapped pilots, and flew in weather minimums 1/3 of what they are today, without NVGs and did not have near the frequency of incidents that occur today. Although the profession has evolved and safety has improved I think the issues are much bigger than those practices being inherently dangerous.

I hate to say it but I think the quality and experience of pilots has drastically declined over the years. You can argue the same with medical crew.

Survival flight suffered horrific pressure to fly with atrocious oversight and a horrible culture that continues to this day.

I remember hearing those stories.

I think part of it likely was pilot experience, part was that conditions were different (fewer man made tall objects, and less congestion in general).

Things have changed. We need to accept that we can’t continue to try to justify modern operations by holding up past standards

 

[GMCmedic]

Did survival flight every produce that evidence that would prove it was not weather related? Ive been waiting on that crap show, wonder what all those SF employees that were standing up for the company are thinking now.

 

[GMCmedic]

Did survival flight every produce that evidence that would prove it was not weather related? Ive been waiting on that crap show, wonder what all those SF employees that were standing up for the company are thinking now.

Nevermind, I found it. Though I didnt see any actual evidence to support their theory.

 

[RocketMedic]

I reckon CFIT is a lot more likely than “shot down by tree thieves”.