Local air ambulance discusses air safety
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Recent mid-air collisions and near-misses have focused attention on our busy skies.
With a number of airports, large and small, in our area, pilots in different types of aircraft have had to learn how to share the air.
EMS pilots have to be ready for an emergency at any moment, but their top priority is the patient’s safety.
“Wait for the tones to go off, and when they go off, push the aircraft out of the hangar, make our proper radio calls, and launch and go to whether it’s a scene or an inter-facility transport from a hospital,” said Michael Gross, an EMS pilot for PHI Medical.
Gross has been flying for more than 25 years.
He said one key to safety in the air is communication.
“All aircraft share what is called a TCAS system, and it’s ‘Traffic, Collision and Avoidance System.’ So, we’re looking at that. The crew is always looking out and as well as pilots. Our responsibility is to maintain separation,” said Gross.
As the air ambulance enters other base’s air spaces, they inform them of their arrival.
“If we do see each other, we make the announcement like ‘Yep, I got you at my 12.’ And we’re going to turn this way to avoid anything. It’s a common courtesy for smaller airports that everybody announces what their intentions are,” said Gross.
The Columbus team’s helicopter for PHI Medical is housed at the Columbus-Lowndes County Airport.
For every flight, there’s one pilot and two crew members — a nurse and a paramedic.
Gross said planes aren’t the only thing they look out for.
“Really, the biggest challenge is keeping away from the birds. This time of the year, there’s a lot of migration. And we’re looking out for power lines and towers and that kind of thing. But it’s all orchestrated. We all work together as a crew. We don’t make any kind of landing until it’s safe to do so,” said Gross.
Gross said weather conditions are also important, so they check the forecast before flying.
PHI Medical’s team is the only commercial aircraft that operates out of the Columbus-Lowndes Airport.
