Air ambulance pilot, how do I become one?

Flight training is expensive. In Australia, a commercial helicopter certificate can easily cost $75,000, if not more. Second, when you graduates flight school you will not have sufficient flight time and experience to do such a job.

It takes many years to build the experience needed to be competitive for an EMS helicopter job. One of the main limitations is experience in high performance, turbine powered helicopters, and that isn't easy to get as a civilian pilot unless you've got a lot more money to spend than a $100,000. That's one of the "catch 22's" in aviation It's hard to get the good jobs without the proper experience, but it is hard to get the proper experience without the job.

The best way to get the required experience is in the military because nearly all the training and experience you get will be in high performance turbine powered helicopters, day and night in all weather. Exactly what EMS pilots are expected to have. So, find out what is required to become a military helicopter pilot in Australia and then pursue that goal.

It won't be easy, but it would be better than the alternative.

The simple answer. Because of the nature of the job, you will need to be a highly experienced helicopter pilot, all of the guys I know in our local rescue helicopter service are ex military. You don't need medical experience, you will usually be too busy flying the helicopter to be involved with the patient.

(Nice knowledge to have though). However, you can get the required experience over years of flying in other fields. It is a bit like eating an Elephant, you can't possibly do it all at once, you have to take it in small bites.

Yes, if you can get into the military and get accepted as trainee helicopter pilot that is the cheapest way, but you can get a commercial pilot's licence and then build experience over a number of years. The cost of an Australian Commercial with Instrument Rating is about $AU 82,000 done full time over about 18 months. (It is actually a bit cheaper if you hop over to New Zealand and do it there).

There are a lot of helicopter operators in Australia and New Zealand and it is one of the easier areas of flying to find a job, but still not that easy. Figure on spending about 10 years of flying helicopters before you have the skills to start thinking about Emergency Service flying. Remember, these guys are flying when all else fails, the flying conditions can be tough and there is no point in wiping out a helicopter and crew if you don't save the patient, so those guys really are the best of the best.

EDIT: Sorry but Danny's information displays the triumph of enthusiasm over experience. In fact, the minimum requirement for an Australian Commercial Pilot Licence is 200 hours, or 150 if you pass a CASA approved course. So at $400 per hour we have a minimum of $60,000 Add an Instrument Rating, needed for any chance at Emergency Flying and you have an easy $80 grand.

Of course, if you hold a fixed wing licence and an instrument rating on fixed wing, a helicopter instrument rating is simply a matter of a flight test. That can be a less costly way than doing an IR on a helicopter. But I do agree with Danny, done in small doses it is possible, but it WILL take a minimum of 18 months full time to pass a CASA approved course.

(Yes, the Kiwi ones are).

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.