Air Ambulance Mission Recap
From time to time, Travel Care Air will use this blog to share some really amazing air ambulance stories. We’re proud to be in the air ambulance services and each day brings us something new and unique. Our brave pilots and medical staff and crew are always ready for whatever situation will come our way. Recently we had a few remarkable moments during our air ambulance missions we wanted to share with you that highlights the bravery of our staff and the extra mile we go for those in need.
Our Medical Staff is Always Ready for the Unexpected
Last year Travel Care Air was flying a Kuwaiti patient from New York to Kuwait on a commercial airline flight. The plane was equipped with a stretcher and medical equipment in the back and a privacy curtain on an otherwise normal flight. Over the middle of the ocean our nurse, Jeffrey Smith was approached by a flight attendant who was distraught about the needs of another passenger on the flight who was complaining of abdominal pain.
Little did Jeff know that when he reached the woman in business class he would find her in labor. So, over the middle of the ocean on a 12 hour flight, our nurse assisted the woman and delivered a healthy baby girl in the galley of the plane.
How Weather Can Impact Air Ambulance Flights
Weather often plays an important factor in each air ambulance case, and typically there are several hurdles to overcome, especially as the seasons change from fall to winter. On December 10th we were contacted for an urgent flight from Wisconsin to Iowa for a kidney transplant recipient. We met the patient in Wisconsin however we were unable to take off because of low visibility and blowing snow. Both locations were hard hit by an early winter storm that made travel difficult that weekend from the Mid-West to Texas.
In poor weather an air ambulance can only take off if there is at least one mile of visibility and reported conditions when we arrived were only a quarter to half mile of visibility. Our staff called AWOS every 15 minutes for five hours until we were finally able to find a safe (albeit small) window for take-off. Thankfully Mother Nature allowed enough time for the patient to reach his destination and new kidney.
Travel Care Air is the leading air ambulance service provider. Travel Care Air offers safety and comfort during each air ambulance mission. For more about our air ambulance services like our Facebook page.