The Secret of Air Ambulance Fly-Along Day

Every profession has its secrets; some good, some bad.

The Air Ambulance world is no exception.

Understanding how things work on the “inside” can absolutely save you time, money and frustration.

Air ambulance fly-along day is the perfect example.

Insider knowledge about how fly-along day works can jump start your air ambulance career.

Lack of knowledge can mess up fly-along day and potentially end your chances of an air ambulance job before you ever get started.

That’s what this article is about.

Teaching you the insider stuff you need to know about air ambulance fly-along day.

What The Heck Is Fly-Along Day

Air ambulance fly-along day is what the rest of world calls a job shadow day.  It’s an opportunity for professionals interested in air ambulance careers to spend a day working alongside air ambulance flight crews.

Fly-along day is exciting and fun.

We highly recommend you schedule a fly-along day as soon as possible.  Flying is the absolute best way to know your suitability for air medical.

The Secret of Fly-Along Day

So what’s the secret of fly-along day?  Put simply, fly-along day is an interview.  Yep, an interview.  Your performance is evaluated from start to finish.

More importantly, your ability to interact with the crew and public is observed in real time.  Plus, your general medical knowledge and likeability is evaluated.

So what happened to “just show up and have fun?”

Nothing.  In fact, you absolutely should have fun.  But you also need to realize that like it or not, you are being evaluated to a certain extent.

Do you see why insider knowledge is important?

How To Benefit From Fly-Along Day

How can you benefit from knowing the secret of fly-along day?  In a word, prepare.  If you know fly-along day is an interview of sorts, prepare for it like an interview.

Realize fly-along day is a different kind of interview than a traditional interview, but with enough similarities that preparing is easy.

Who is Eligible For Fly-Along Day

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer to this question.  Eligibility to fly-along with air ambulance flight crews varies from one flight program to another.

The best thing to do is contact the flight program directly.  Many programs only permit fly-alongs during certain times of the year due to helicopter performance issues.

Some flight programs only allow fly-alongs with specific certifications and/or work related experience in the local area.  Again, it all depends on the individual air ambulance program.  Your best bet is to contact individual flight programs for specific requirements.

4 Easy Tips For Nailing Fly-Along Day

• Show up on time.  (Not half an hour early, not half an hour late).
• Wear your uniform.  (They may bust on you, but they’ll also be impressed.  Do it.)
• Bring a snack.  (Do you know any EMS that don’t like snacks?  Enough said.)
• Be nice. (Do not make the mistake of bad-mouthing another air or ground service.)

That’s it!  It may not seem like a big deal, but trust us, it is.

Understanding how fly-along day works and doing some simple preparation will put you ahead of 90% of the competition.

Have you ever participated in an air ambulance fly-along day?  Share your own tips and experiences in the comment section below.

Until next time . . .

Clear Skies & Tailwinds,

Fly-write

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If you want more tips on how to earn an air ambulance flight crew job, click here.