Medical helicopter pilot shortage, attempts to increase recruitments

Many Americans are facing challenges as they try to get the healthcare they desperately need. Among the issues they're contending with is a shortage of emergency helicopter pilots. FOX News Senior Correspondent Alicia Acuna takes a look at what's being done to ramp us recruitment.
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[@admiral_franz_von_hipper5436]

Another issue with helicopter training is that the options are much more scarce than fixed wing flight schools which in turn drive up the costs of training. While these jobs in theory only require a commercial rotarycraft certificate, most places want pilots with even more experience than that.

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

HEMS is like the airlines. The problem isn't a shortage of pilots, the problem is a shortage of pilots with the specific experience these companies want.

[@shockerthreeone]

Pay is the problem

[@lookingforwookiecopilot]

@@shockerthreeone So, then what job are all you guys doing instead?

[@2ndamendment1776]

At $170,000, I wonder why there's a shortage.

[@theantianimeassociation7574]

It’s that money because there is a shortage. And it’s very hard to get into

[@capt.imanuddinyunusshmh.6549]

Thanks for sharing

[@shockerthreeone]

It’s not that there is a shortage of pilots, it’s a pay issue, bottom line. The bonuses they spoke of are a joke. Starting pay for most EMS pilots is 85k-92k and it barely goes up 2-3k a year after that. Airline pilots do less actual flying and get paid more than double that. Being a helicopter pilot is a great job, but pay has always been a problem. I flew as an EMS pilot for five years, not worth it, go to the airlines….

[@Ptr_-hx4it]

The problem is there is no financial assistance at ALL when it comes to helicopter training. It’s HARD to come up with the money to pay for it. That’s why people go to airlines. They get guaranteed jobs, tuition assistance, huge bonuses on top of already great pay and much much easier financing and flexible payment options over time

[@topofthegreen]

the cost of a 4 year collage degree plus the insane cost of helicopter training and the age 65 retirement rulle and you need close to 3,000 hours,500 of that turbine time, make it a high barrier to entity .

[@szbarn]

Yet hundreds, if not thousands of non-US citizen pilots who are way overqualified for these positions ,did their initial trainings in the US and are knocking on these air operators` doors and they won`t even acknowledge us with an answer. The current Immigration Legislation makes it impossible to obtain a work permit in less than 16-24 month of excruciating bureaucratic nightmare -that is ,provided the employer sponsors the applicant ,(no matter how qualified he/she is )and this needs to change!