Air Ambulance Helicopter Pilot Life – HEMS
Air ambulance pilot Chris shares with us the daily tasks, challenges and rewards of his critical HEMS pilot role saving lives in the UK.
Pilot Bible
July 17, 2024
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A current Virgin pilot has kindly given us an unparalleled insight into what life’s like operating in the right hand seat of one of the worlds most infamous airlines. The pilot wishes to remain anonymous in order to be totally honest and transparent about all aspects of life for pilots at the company, which we fully understand.
Senior First Officer with Virgin Atlantic based at London Heathrow.
Flying customers around the world safely.
Firstly, grabbing a coffee at café Nero, then heading to the crew room to meet the rest of the pilots and crew. We look at the routing and weather, discussing threats and fuel requirements. We depart LHR for destinations in the USA, Caribbean, Africa or Asia and flight times can range from 7 to 14 hours. After landing at the destination, I normally initially try to get some sleep followed by some exercise or exploring the city we are in with the crew.
I always wanted to become a pilot. After university I started applying to cadet programs. I was lucky enough to join an airline tagged scheme and that was my way into aviation.
(For more info on different paths to take, see our book here on ‘How To Become An Airline Pilot’)
The pinch yourself moments when spending time in some of the most amazing places on the planet, from paddle boarding in the Caribbean to exploring India in the back of a tuk-tuk. The people you work with are fantastic and really make the airline what it is.
The destinations you get to visit, and the people you work with.
Night flying is tough. Many of our flights require us to operate through the night and land back in the UK early morning time. If it’s a trip rostered with 3 pilots, you’ll get the opportunity to take turns resting during the flight, however it’s still tough commuting home during morning rush hour when you’ve been awake and working most of the night
The time zone changes can also be very challenging on the body. Depending on the length of the layover, some crew choose to try and stay on UK time when downroute, whereas others try and immediately adjust to the local time, then re-adjust when back to the UK.
(If you’re interested in the health impacts the job can have, we’ve written an in depth article here breaking it down)
The number of events you miss out on as you’re often away 🙁
The views flying over the Himalayas and Northern lights when flying over Greenland on the way back from the USA were both incredible.
I would have tried to understand more about what the job is really like, not what the posters and flight schools sell, as it can be very different to what you expect. Ultimately, I do love the job but it can be challenging and takes significant investment and sacrifice. You really have to want the job and be prepared to give a lot up in return.
Often people think the job is glamorous and that you’re always on holiday. The reality is very different. The job can be very tiring and spending a lot of time away from loved ones is hard.
I’d recommend researching the career thoroughly. Ask as many questions as possible to find out whether it is right for you. The commitment required is significant so you have to be 100% sure you want to do it. If you do decide to go for it resilience is vital, there will get bumps and knocks and plenty of challenges along the way. Ultimately it is a well paid job and you will get to have experiences and visit places that very few people outside of the industry ever will and that’s a real privilege. Keeping a positive mindset is really important.
(From us here at Pilot Bible – Diary of an airline Captain can give you further insights into the daily life, so you can see if it’s really something you want to pursue. You can also read other ‘day in the life’ posts here to get an idea of what else is out there.)
85 flying hours.
Salary is very competitive, figures can be found here on PPJN.
For me work/life balance is becoming more important, I’d like to spend more time with friends and family and doing the other things I enjoy in life so part time will probably be a goal in the future.
Flying to the Caribbean in the winter and escaping the UK weather, working alongside a great crew and getting the job done safely.
I always try and get some sort of exercise done when down route. I feel it helps with the time zone shifts. I also focus on eating nutritious foods and trying to get plenty of rest. It’s also important to be social with the other pilots and crew so I always try to get out and do something fun down route.
I do think it is getting better and there are now multiple resources that pilots have access to which weren’t available in the past. Awareness within the industry is increasing.
I’d like to sincerely thank this Virgin First Officer for taking the time to answer our questions and for giving you all an insight into what life as a Virgin pilot is really like!
Virgin Atlantic Pilot Recruitment Website
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How To Become An Airline Pilot in 2024
This series aims to bring you insights into the daily life of pilots around the world in varying industries to hopefully expand your knowledge and enable you to make more suitable career decisions. If you like it, please comment!
Air ambulance pilot Chris shares with us the daily tasks, challenges and rewards of his critical HEMS pilot role saving lives in the UK.
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