Has this ever happened to you?
You find yourself thinking –beautiful day to fly, great crew, and life couldn’t be better!
You look outside the helicopter and watch with child-like astonishment as trees and mountains pass below you . . . it’s hard to imagine a better job. You can’t help but feel blessed to do a job you love, and then . . .
It happens.
The moment that changes everything . . .
No more enjoying the sights. No more feeling blessed. No more day dreaming. Suddenly the only sensation is fear and heart-pounding panic. Somebody just said “Oh Sh*t” and you don’t know why. You only know somebody said it, and there must be a reason.
Time Stands Still
The seconds between “the moment” and the next words seem an eternity. What is it? A chip light, a compressor stall, an engine failure . . . Just say it! We need to know right now! We need to prepare, plan, brace for impact, please just say it!
“I dropped my pencil and it rolled down into the chin bubble. The mechanic is going to kill me.”
And as fast as a cheetah on red bull, all fear is gone.
Thankfully, most OMG moments end this way.
If you fly, this has happened to you. Sure, your moment is different and it’s unique to you and your crew. But if you fly, you’ve experienced some flavor of “the moment.”
What you may not have realized, is the value in the lesson.
Put This In Your Toolbox
Would it surprise you to know all aircrew do the exact same thing during “the moment?”
Because we do. We just don’t realize it or care. And because we never stop to think about it, we never really learn from it. The truth is, everyone’s so relieved it was just a pencil, spilled soda, or dropped helmet bag . . . we all jump straight to relief.
So what exactly are all aircrew doing during an “OMG” moment?
They’re all listening. All focused. All paying attention.
Used at the right time, that’s some pretty powerful stuff. Instant attention. No more talk about the score of the ball game or whether MaryLou is going to cover your shift next week. Nope, for that moment in time, all crew are completely focused on same thing.
Focus. That’s exactly what needs to happen when real life emergencies happen.
The Irony of Calm Pilot Skills
The irony of an air medical pilot saying “oh sh*t” to a dropped pencil, is that the same pilot will calm as a cucumber tell you . . .
“The #1 engine lost oil pressure, i’m shutting it down, please prepare for an emergency landing.”
His heart rate will never get more than 10% above normal, and he will instinctively perform all the required immediate action steps with precision and poise. Pilots react to emergencies with the calmest of demeanor. Both their reaction and intent is pure. Reacting calmly says: “Hey, we have a very serious problem, but I want you to know I’m handling it. And I want you to have complete confidence I will get you back to your loved ones safely.” Who can argue with that intent?
Here’s the problem:
A lot of emergencies are half or completely over before the crew knows anything about it. Sometimes that’s a good thing, sometimes not.
The risk is missed communication.
The pilot believes the crew is aware of the emergency and doing what they need to do . . . but they’re not!
Seconds matter. Paying attention matters. Reacting appropriately matters.
So what’s the answer?
Well, like most important and potentially life-changing events, the answer is that it depends. I understand this answer sucks for most air medical personalities. I understand you don’t want to deal with maybes, or uncertainties, or it depends. But that’s that truth. The answer is situation dependent.
Not all emergencies are created equal.
Sometimes the pilot can take care of an emergency quicker than he or she can verbalize it. Other emergencies require the pilot and crew to complete immediate action steps together. For example, it’s important the crew knows to lock their shoulder harness’ and sit upright whenever possible during some emergencies.
Seconds can make a difference.
So if announcing we have a compressor stall fails to draw attention, you might be better off intentionally jumping straight to an “oh sh*t” moment. Sometimes its necessary to tune everyone to the same channel immediately.
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14 replies to "How One Moment Can Change Everything"
wouaille wouille wouille !
Guitou,
The photo is an attention grabber for sure.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
Ouch.
David,
I hope your comment is about the article photo, not the article text. 😉
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
The air is pretty thin in the dessert of Nevada, but come October I get to do my fly along with Mercy Air. I could do without an OH SHIT moment though. Depending on Jamie Lewis making it a great fly along.
Allen,
Good Luck with your fly-along with Mercy Air. You’ll have a blast and hopefully get to see and learn a lot too. Let us know how it goes.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
I was able to take the advice suggested on your site and use it to get a fly along with Medflight in Huntsville, AL back in Jan. I also talked with them and was able to find I could also fly with Vanderbuilt in Nasville, TN and am awaiting time in my schedule to make that flight. Thanks for the great advice. The experience taught me I definitely wanna be a flight medic. We flew a trauma patient and it was unforgettable.
Ashley,
You’re welcome and congratulations! Fly-along day is a great experience (which you now know first hand). Good on you for making it happen.
Let us know how it goes with Vanderbilt. That’s a great program full of great people. Stay focused, one step at a time and you’ll reach your goal of flight medic.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
Jasmin Reisinger
Life Flight saved my life. But I was clinically dead 2 different times on the way into the Trauma 1 Center, then I went into a coma and woke up the way I am now. Which most times I’m grateful for living – except during those times when now, even 21 years later, I’m still receiving treatment for it.
Vicki,
Thank you for sharing your story.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
I had a guy pull a hit and run on a chain link fence one night. The upper horizontal pipe skewered the windshield near the driver’s a-post, went dead nuts through his headrest, through the back seat, and out through the back of the trunk lid. The only reason that the driver didn’t get a tracheostomy was because he was leaning to the right as he was steering so abruptly to avoid the collision
Jon,
Thanks for sharing.
Clear Skies & Tailwinds
Wow!!!!