MEDEVAC cherry

[Captain]

Well I did something new today. Normally I fly business folk to meetings or the rich to play golf or yacht or whatever rich people do. But today I flew a box. It was a white cardboard box about a foot and a half square weighing 20 pounds or so.

Inside the box was a liver from someone in Little Rock Arkansas who I assume had recently died. But I was taking it to someone still alive. Someone ill never meet.

We advised ATC of our MEDEVAC status and got the most amazing direct routing I've ever seen. 700 plus miles to the next fix and that fix was 7 miles from the destination. We landed and met a doctor in a white doctor jacket and scrubs along with a technician. They shook our hands and took the box into their car and drove away. As I type these words I imagine the surgery is finishing up as they took the box about 4 hours ago.

I have to admit I feel pretty good about being a small part of possibly saving someone's life. I imagine a waiting room full of family relieved their loved one finally made it to the top of some donor list and happy to hear about a corporate plane speeding their dads new liver across the country.

Thought I'd share.

 

[kenjr]

awesome. Thanks for sharing.

 

[murphey]

At Centennial (KAPA), "Angel Flight xxx" gets priority over everyone except Emergency flights. Kinda fun to be in a little cherokee getting to go ahead of all the bizjets....

Most important when we're flying blood donations.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Unless they let someone die to make money on the transfer. Definition of death was made gray when transfers became possible. There is no doubt some are helped on their way so others may profit.

 

[Henning]

Unless they let someone die to make money on the transfer. Definition of death was made gray when transfers became possible. There is no doubt some are helped on their way so others may profit.

Not really much within the western world, that's why we have medical tourism to third world countries. In fact, the transplant harvest rules are so strict that a lot of good tissue ends up wasted. If I'm brain wasted and broken up, don't bother waiting to harvest off of me.

 

[Z06_Mir]

Who do you fly for now, you worked for avantair previously right?

Just think there are guys who do that flying every day. Come in with doctors and nurses on the airplane and leave with those same people and parts. Or visa versa. Saw it a lot, more than you'd think.

 

[frfly172]

Did a few life flights ,always took the harvest team . Then waited for them to return with the little coolers. Makes you feel good you are a part of the life saving process.

 

[dtuuri]

I imagine a waiting room full of family relieved their loved one finally made it to the top of some donor list and happy to hear about a corporate plane speeding their dads new liver across the country.

Here's a true-life story, so you needn't just imagine the flip side of the transaction:

I first met Kevin when my boss offered our Citation II to transport him to Pittsburgh for a heart transplant. He was just a normal looking 11-year old, but towed around a tall green oxygen tank everywhere he went. His dad worked on the factory floor as a laborer and had never seen our plane, so the family came out to the hangar for a dry run--to learn how to gain access even after normal hours, should the call come during the night. The plan was to take a local flight to familiarize them with the procedures.

Well, after a long conversation in the family van, after I had given the hangar tour and invited them for a short airplane ride, Kevin's mother informed me he did not want to, and would not go flying that day. I sensed that he was afraid of being "Shanghaied" and wasn't mentally ready, so I asked to speak privately with him. I told him what my suspicions were and promised him that was not the agenda and it wouldn't happen. He changed his mind.

There were one or two false starts that summer. I remember waiting at the airport in the wee hours of the morning and being released when Kevin's mother rejected the offer at the last minute, going on nothing more than a mother's intuition.

One night, as I prepared for bed, I stood on my balcony off my bedroom window and watched as a lunar eclipse began. As the earth's shadow began making it's way across the face of the moon I suddenly grew too sleepy to watch it as I had intended, so I went inside and fell quicky into a deep sleep. Then the phone woke me and it was Ann, Kevin's mother. She said, "I've accepted an offer, there was a car accident in West Virgina and the heart is enroute to Pittsburgh." It was around two in the morning. My bedroom was flooded in bright moonlight. I wondered if this would be the last time I would see Kevin alive and thought how brave he is for such a young man. The thought scared me and caused my adrenaline to surge. After pondering the total eclipse I had missed seeing, though, I concluded it was an omen--a new moon and a new heart for Kevin. With that thought, my apprehension vanished.

Like your flight, we were cleared direct to the outer marker, IIRC. The night sky was clear and smooth. We made it in record time.

The whole Mansfield community followed Kevin in the newspaper. There were regular fund-raisers and human interest articles covering the little boy's experience.

Kevin survived the transplant. We flew him home too. When quoted, he referred to me as, "His pilot." That made me proud.

In the years after, his mother cleaned house for me, keeping me informed. He was susceptible to pneumonia and tissue rejection and often had to be hospitalized. Yet he grew up, went to school, taught disadvantaged children, got married, became a father and a minister.

When he died, around this time of the year, I had to stand in line at the funeral home for 45 minutes before reaching the casket to say good-bye. The line was that long. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/obituary/24695

I hope your recipient can have as full of a life as Kevin managed. You did your part. You have reason to feel good.

dtuuri

 

[TangoWhiskey]

Here's a true-life story, so you needn't just imagine the flip side of the transaction:

I first met Kevin when my boss offered our Citation II to transport him to Pittsburgh for a heart transplant. He was just a normal looking 11-year old, but towed around a tall green oxygen tank everywhere he went. His dad worked on the factory floor as a laborer and had never seen our plane, so the family came out to the hangar for a dry run--to learn how to gain access even after normal hours, should the call come during the night. The plan was to take a local flight to familiarize them with the procedures.

Well, after a long conversation in the family van, after I had given the hangar tour and invited them for a short airplane ride, Kevin's mother informed me he did not want to, and would not go flying that day. I sensed that he was afraid of being "Shanghaied" and wasn't mentally ready, so I asked to speak privately with him. I told him what my suspicions were and promised him that was not the agenda and it wouldn't happen. He changed his mind.

There were one or two false starts that summer. I remember waiting at the airport in the wee hours of the morning and being released when Kevin's mother rejected the offer at the last minute, going on nothing more than a mother's intuition.

One night, as I prepared for bed, I stood on my balcony off my bedroom window and watched as a lunar eclipse began. As the earth's shadow began making it's way across the face of the moon I suddenly grew too sleepy to watch it as I had intended, so I went inside and fell quicky into a deep sleep. Then the phone woke me and it was Ann, Kevin's mother. She said, "I've accepted an offer, there was a car accident in West Virgina and the heart is enroute to Pittsburgh." It was around two in the morning. My bedroom was flooded in bright moonlight. I wondered if this would be the last time I would see Kevin alive and thought how brave he is for such a young man. The thought scared me and caused my adrenaline to surge. After pondering the total eclipse I had missed seeing, though, I concluded it was an omen--a new moon and a new heart for Kevin. With that thought, my apprehension vanished.

Like your flight, we were cleared direct to the outer marker, IIRC. The night sky was clear and smooth. We made it in record time.

The whole Mansfield community followed Kevin in the newspaper. There were regular fund-raisers and human interest articles covering the little boy's experience.

Kevin survived the transplant. We flew him home too. When quoted, he referred to me as, "His pilot." That made me proud.

In the years after, his mother cleaned house for me, keeping me informed. He was susceptible to pneumonia and tissue rejection and often had to be hospitalized. Yet he grew up, went to school, taught disadvantaged children, got married, became a father and a minister.

When he died, around this time of the year, I had to stand in line at the funeral home for 45 minutes before reaching the casket to say good-bye. The line was that long. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/obituary/24695

I hope your recipient can have as full of a life as Kevin managed. You did your part. You have reason to feel good.

dtuuri

WOW. What a story.

Thank you for sharing that, and for what you do.

 

[Captain]

Here's a true-life story, so you needn't just imagine the flip side of the transaction:

I first met Kevin when my boss offered our Citation II to transport him to Pittsburgh for a heart transplant. He was just a normal looking 11-year old, but towed around a tall green oxygen tank everywhere he went. His dad worked on the factory floor as a laborer and had never seen our plane, so the family came out to the hangar for a dry run--to learn how to gain access even after normal hours, should the call come during the night. The plan was to take a local flight to familiarize them with the procedures.

Well, after a long conversation in the family van, after I had given the hangar tour and invited them for a short airplane ride, Kevin's mother informed me he did not want to, and would not go flying that day. I sensed that he was afraid of being "Shanghaied" and wasn't mentally ready, so I asked to speak privately with him. I told him what my suspicions were and promised him that was not the agenda and it wouldn't happen. He changed his mind.

There were one or two false starts that summer. I remember waiting at the airport in the wee hours of the morning and being released when Kevin's mother rejected the offer at the last minute, going on nothing more than a mother's intuition.

One night, as I prepared for bed, I stood on my balcony off my bedroom window and watched as a lunar eclipse began. As the earth's shadow began making it's way across the face of the moon I suddenly grew too sleepy to watch it as I had intended, so I went inside and fell quicky into a deep sleep. Then the phone woke me and it was Ann, Kevin's mother. She said, "I've accepted an offer, there was a car accident in West Virgina and the heart is enroute to Pittsburgh." It was around two in the morning. My bedroom was flooded in bright moonlight. I wondered if this would be the last time I would see Kevin alive and thought how brave he is for such a young man. The thought scared me and caused my adrenaline to surge. After pondering the total eclipse I had missed seeing, though, I concluded it was an omen--a new moon and a new heart for Kevin. With that thought, my apprehension vanished.

Like your flight, we were cleared direct to the outer marker, IIRC. The night sky was clear and smooth. We made it in record time.

The whole Mansfield community followed Kevin in the newspaper. There were regular fund-raisers and human interest articles covering the little boy's experience.

Kevin survived the transplant. We flew him home too. When quoted, he referred to me as, "His pilot." That made me proud.

In the years after, his mother cleaned house for me, keeping me informed. He was susceptible to pneumonia and tissue rejection and often had to be hospitalized. Yet he grew up, went to school, taught disadvantaged children, got married, became a father and a minister.

When he died, around this time of the year, I had to stand in line at the funeral home for 45 minutes before reaching the casket to say good-bye. The line was that long. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/obituary/24695

I hope your recipient can have as full of a life as Kevin managed. You did your part. You have reason to feel good.

dtuuri

Thanks. As I was reading that I was thinking ill bet that eclipse you were watching had to do with Kevin getting his heart. My logic is thus, an eclipse has to happen during a full moon. Ask any cop or ER employee and you'll hear the same, people act froggy during full moons. I'd give it a good chance the full moon played a part in the car crash that ultimately gave Kevin his heart.

Either way, thanks for the story.

 

[Corpsmaide]

Well done sir.

 

[Velocity173]

At Centennial (KAPA), "Angel Flight xxx" gets priority over everyone except Emergency flights. Kinda fun to be in a little cherokee getting to go ahead of all the bizjets....

Most important when we're flying blood donations.

That must be thru some sort of LOA with the tower because "Angel Flight" (CMF) is not a priority callsign. MEDEVAC and Angel Flight are two seperate operations.

Still, a good service that Angel Flight provides.

 

[Henning]

That must be thru some sort of LOA with the tower because "Angel Flight" (CMF) is not a priority callsign. MEDEVAC and Angel Flight are two seperate operations.

Still, a good service that Angel Flight provides.

I don't think an LOA is likely to be involved. Sometimes people just do things on personal discretion.

 

[murphey]

That must be thru some sort of LOA with the tower because "Angel Flight" (CMF) is not a priority callsign. MEDEVAC and Angel Flight are two seperate operations.

Still, a good service that Angel Flight provides.

Negotiations with the FAA allows AF flights to use the AF designation rather than the generic "Compassion Flight". At no time does AF fly emergency anything. But when carrying multiple 50# boxes of blood to the processing center, AF tends to get "bumped" to the head of the line, at least out west.

We're also discouraged from using the AF call sign when empty, even if we're on our way to pick up blood or pax. Most important time we use it when bringing the pax to a facility for an appointment because those are time-sensitive.

 

[comanchepilot]

Angel Flights get priority routings as available [and they usually are] - but Lifeflight gets direct and priority routings and they'll move other people out of the way - its happened several times to me IFR over the basin and how can anyone feel bad about losing 3 minutes on a route when you know what its for?

 

[jonnyjetprop]

We used the "lifeguard" call sign when I flew air ambulance back in 1990. It was pretty impressive to see the lengths the controllers (both civilian and military) to get us through without delay. Flying out of Reno, we often had to fly through the Fallon military airspace. The military flights would just split above or below to let us though.

 

[murphey]

We used the "lifeguard" call sign when I flew air ambulance back in 1990. It was pretty impressive to see the lengths the controllers (both civilian and military) to get us through without delay. Flying out of Reno, we often had to fly through the Fallon military airspace. The military flights would just split above or below to let us though.

kewl!

AF flights are never emergencies (or aren't supposed to be), so we can't use lifeguard or medevac or anything like that. But most of the time the AF call sign is useful.

 

[Velocity173]

We used the "lifeguard" call sign when I flew air ambulance back in 1990. It was pretty impressive to see the lengths the controllers (both civilian and military) to get us through without delay. Flying out of Reno, we often had to fly through the Fallon military airspace. The military flights would just split above or below to let us though.

Yeah just last year they changed it to MEDEVAC. Same meaning and priority as the former Lifeguard. We use our program callsign / SQK thru an LOA with local ATC though. On any given day I could be using three different callsigns.

 

[dtuuri]

I'd give it a good chance the full moon played a part in the car crash that ultimately gave Kevin his heart.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised. That and the fact the heart came from West by God Virginia--same as both of Kevin's parents. How could his mother turn that one down?

dtuuri

 

[Doggtyred]

Unless they let someone die to make money on the transfer. Definition of death was made gray when transfers became possible. There is no doubt some are helped on their way so others may profit.

Where did you get that idea?

The same things you do to save a life are the same things you do to try and keep a donor's organs viable. There is no "letting someone die" because withdrawing support damages the organs.

The only place the line is blurred is where the FAMILY decides to withdraw support on someone who is vegetative, or worse, and then is approached about donation after death (without compensation). The patient is taken to the OR and everything is turned off.

If the donor patient expires promptly, the kidneys and liver are able to be taken (but not the heart or lungs, the most valuable and least salvageable organs).. If the patient does NOT expire naturally and promptly, they go back to a hospital room and are no longer a candidate for organ donation. Skin, bone and corneas (tissue) may be harvested after death occurs. Not all OPO's (organ procurement organizations) do donation after death, and its a fairly recent occurrence.

Death, including brain death, is strictly and absolutely defined.

So.. respectfully, stick to what you know.

 

[Captain]

Where did you get that idea?

The same things you do to save a life are the same things you do to try and keep a donor's organs viable. There is no "letting someone die" because withdrawing support damages the organs.

The only place the line is blurred is where the FAMILY decides to withdraw support on someone who is vegetative, or worse, and then is approached about donation after death (without compensation). The patient is taken to the OR and everything is turned off.

If the donor patient expires promptly, the kidneys and liver are able to be taken (but not the heart or lungs, the most valuable and least salvageable organs).. If the patient does NOT expire naturally and promptly, they go back to a hospital room and are no longer a candidate for organ donation. Skin, bone and corneas (tissue) may be harvested after death occurs. Not all OPO's (organ procurement organizations) do donation after death, and its a fairly recent occurrence.

Death, including brain death, is strictly and absolutely defined.

So.. respectfully, stick to what you know.

So where do heart and lung donations come from?

 

[denverpilot]

Yeah just last year they changed it to MEDEVAC. Same meaning and priority as the former Lifeguard. We use our program callsign / SQK thru an LOA with local ATC though. On any given day I could be using three different callsigns.

Wouldn't it be cool if they'd put it in the AIM?

 

[Captain]

Wouldn't it be cool if they'd put it in the AIM?

Funny you mention that. I've never done a lifeguard or MEDEVAC flight before and to be honest it didn't even cross our minds until we were sitting there with the engines running to do it. We told clearance that we were lifeguard (didn't know it changed) when we got the clearance. But we were not sure how to use the call sign and ATC wasn't very consistent. 'MEDEVAC' first or last or not at all.

In cruise I opened up my AIM on ForeFlight and looked it up. It's 'MEDEVAC' and your tail number or, if you have a call sign its 'MEDEVAC', call sign and flight number, ie..."MEDEVAC Delta 673".

 

[Velocity173]

Wouldn't it be cool if they'd put it in the AIM?

I don't think it made it to press in last year's but it's in the current one under 4-2-4.

 

[denverpilot]

Where did you get that idea?

The same things you do to save a life are the same things you do to try and keep a donor's organs viable. There is no "letting someone die" because withdrawing support damages the organs.

The only place the line is blurred is where the FAMILY decides to withdraw support on someone who is vegetative, or worse, and then is approached about donation after death (without compensation). The patient is taken to the OR and everything is turned off.

If the donor patient expires promptly, the kidneys and liver are able to be taken (but not the heart or lungs, the most valuable and least salvageable organs).. If the patient does NOT expire naturally and promptly, they go back to a hospital room and are no longer a candidate for organ donation. Skin, bone and corneas (tissue) may be harvested after death occurs. Not all OPO's (organ procurement organizations) do donation after death, and its a fairly recent occurrence.

Death, including brain death, is strictly and absolutely defined.

So.. respectfully, stick to what you know.

Agreed. Dad's stroke was called an "unsurvivable brain injury" but under Colorado Law he was not brain dead.

The organ donation organization had to attempt to prove that he would expire within a very hard limit of time if life support were removed. Because he was relatively young, they were also wiling to pursue a Judge's pronouncement that he wouldn't survive off life support.

He wanted to donate his organs so we went through the process of removing life support not just once, but twice. First time was to see how strong his body was for the donation folks. Very hard.

Ultimately they did it a bit out of order. They did some more digging and asking questions about his medical history and couldn't use any of the large organs after speaking to a specialist. The concern was the stroke was probably brought on by long term hypertension which destroys or damages most organs.

After death his tissues and corneas were taken. We received a nice letter from the eye donation organization stating that a younger male in Denver received the gift of sight from dad. Good enough for us.

It never was about profit. If anything they lost money evaluating him and paying the ICU staff to assist. The donation staff had to be paged to the hospital well after hours on a Sunday too. I doubt these Spevialists work for free.

They asked forgiveness for the faux pas of doing the test before they knew for sure, but they had two people working in parallel and one was on the phone with the on-call attorney to get the process exactly right.

I can't imagine any of that process was inexpensive. And ultimately they harvested very little. But his wishes were followed.

 

[Captain]

Agreed. Dad's stroke was called an "unsurvivable brain injury" but under Colorado Law he was not brain dead.

The organ donation organization had to attempt to prove that he would expire within a very hard limit of time if life support were removed. Because he was relatively young, they were also wiling to pursue a Judge's pronouncement that he wouldn't survive off life support.

He wanted to donate his organs so we went through the process of removing life support not just once, but twice. First time was to see how strong his body was for the donation folks. Very hard.

Ultimately they did it a bit out of order. They did some more digging and asking questions about his medical history and couldn't use any of the large organs after speaking to a specialist. The concern was the stroke was probably brought on by long term hypertension which destroys or damages most organs.

After death his tissues and corneas were taken. We received a nice letter from the eye donation organization stating that a younger male in Denver received the gift of sight from dad. Good enough for us.

It never was about profit. If anything they lost money evaluating him and paying the ICU staff to assist. The donation staff had to be paged to the hospital well after hours on a Sunday too. I doubt these Spevialists work for free.

They asked forgiveness for the faux pas of doing the test before they knew for sure, but they had two people working in parallel and one was on the phone with the on-call attorney to get the process exactly right.

I can't imagine any of that process was inexpensive. And ultimately they harvested very little. But his wishes were followed.

We may argue from time to time here but I am sorry about your dad. Glad his final wish helped someone. I'm sure he would have liked that.

 

[denverpilot]

We may argue from time to time here but I am sorry about your dad. Glad his final wish helped someone. I'm sure he would have liked that.

We were too. I think he would have.

Internet arguments aren't high on my "changes my life" list. Heh. No worries there. It's the Internet. Not the real world.

An example might be the website you propose. I've built a bunch of stuff like that. It's hard to believe the sheer numbers of people who will mess with such a site just because there's no consequences to it for them. I was hunting at you that you can't fix the human issues with tech. It never works. You'll have to come up with a way to provide the data some credibility beyond just building the website. (Sorry wrong thread I know but just thoughts on why I was badgering you. I tend to hint and let folks come to the answers on their own.)

The real purpose of the post was to agree with the post that said death and organ donations operate under intense scrutiny to assure no one is just randomly killing someone by removing medical care to harvest organs. The donation folks were significantly hog-tied by the law about his specific type of brain stem injury and did a great job of explaining to an already grieving family that it wasn't as simple as just "grab what you need because his ID card has a donation mark on it". They were both incredibly professional and compassionate to the situation and circumstances.

I think the folks drawn to those types of jobs must have just the right genes and upbringing. I couldn't do it. A similar example would be Hospice personnel. I haven't met a bad apple in that profession either.

Karen's chorus has multiple organ recipients. One got the page for a kidney while standing in the airport with the chorus on their way to a competition. Talk about a cheering squad when she told the crowd that she needed to head to the airline customer service desk and change her destination! 50 or so people cheering as she headed for the desk.

She'd had a bag packed and had been ready to fly in short notice for months. And here she was, standing in an airport with a bag of clothes when the call came. She's been doing great for a couple of years now.

Folks should consider checking that box and being an organ donor if your beliefs allow it. It really does help people and who cares if folks get paid appropriately to do it? No one is going to look at you as profit. They're looking at you as helping someone else with things we can't quite grow in test tubes yet. You won't be using them! (That's a dad joke. Exactly his opinion on organ donation... "As long as I'm done with them!")

 

[Captain]

Talking about pay. I was paid for the trip and I feel a little guilty for it. Although my pay is a cost and insurance pays. I don't know, conflicted a bit. I gotta pay the bills too though. Whatever, I was happy to do my part and hope it made a difference to someone.

 

[denverpilot]

Talking about pay. I was paid for the trip and I feel a little guilty for it. Although my pay is a cost and insurance pays. I don't know, conflicted a bit. I gotta pay the bills too though. Whatever, I was happy to do my part and hope it made a difference to someone.

If you don't need it, you could donate that flight's pay to an organization involved. But if you need it, fair pay for fair work isn't unreasonable at all.

 

[Captain]

If you don't need it, you could donate that flight's pay to an organization involved. But if you need it, fair pay for fair work isn't unreasonable at all.

Yeah...I haven't had a paycheck since June. I was stiffed for my last two weeks work when Avantair folded, so I'm gonna keep it. But I'll not forget that flight and the feeling of doing something good will stick. Much more satisfying than getting some banker to his meeting. (No offense to bankers and their meetings)

 

[Velocity173]

Yeah...I haven't had a paycheck since June. I was stiffed for my last two weeks work when Avantair folded, so I'm gonna keep it. But I'll not forget that flight and the feeling of doing something good will stick. Much more satisfying than getting some banker to his meeting. (No offense to bankers and their meetings)

That's kinda why I fly HEMS. I've gotta pay the bills but at least I'm flying someone who needs my help. I have plenty of friends who chose lucrative contract jobs overseas instead of the far lesser pay that I make. Nothing against what they do either but I just don't think I'd get much satisfaction flying rich Sheiks in Saudi over what I do now. To each his own.

 

[DeeG]

Been a "potential" donor since I first got my license. Really hope that when the time comes, SOMEONE (better yet, multiple someones) will be helped.

My co-worker recently (this past July) donated one of her kidneys to her daughter. She's known for a few years that she was going to be the donor. That whole process was beyond astounding to me. Amazing what the both of them had to go through in order to make it happen.