Pilot Incapacitation - Teaching Medical Crew How-To-Use Autopilot on EC135 Medevac Helicopter

If you have learned anything new to the world of aviation or simply enjoyed what portions of medevac helicopter flights are like please like, share, comment. I enjoy getting people's feedback and am always learning new things.
Ever since my time in Upstate NY with Mercy Flight Central it has been on my mind to get my crews familiar with the avionics on the EC135 to assist them if the pilot became incapacitated. Avionics, more specifically, the autopilot and Garmin 430 Nav/Comm. My ultimate goals are not only to teach basic aircraft control with simple button pushing but also to have them be able to know who to communicate with, navigate via GPS to a suitable airport, and possibly perform a run-on landing, all by pushing buttons.
It was a beautiful morning at the AirCare4, based at the Front Royal, VA airport. Flight Paramedic Lindsey and Flight Nurse John were my medical crew onboard. In a previous shift Lindsey and I spent about an hour of ground school in the aircraft, going over how everything worked and the process involved. Today's flight was an introduction to applying what she had learned. This type of training is not required by PHI, but have been working on a personal cheat sheet/checklist to assist in the task.
Batteries went dead unfortunately.
It is a wonderful privilege to be part of the aviation world. May we all never stop learning how to do things better and safer!
Equipment Used:
- GoPro NVG mount: www.aviationta...
- GoPro Max / GoPro Hero 9 / GoPro Hero 3
- Homemade audio adapter cable

[@StevenFlies]

Lindsey was my paramedic instructor, now she is learning the basics of flying. Pretty cool.

[@VictoryAviation]

The levity on the flight deck is awesome. I’m really impressed with your instruction demeanor. You seem like an experienced pilot that we would all love to fly with and learn from.

[@shep427]

This is fantastic! I'm a fixed wing pilot and my wife has been flying on an EC135 as a paramedic for years and where she works they just got a newer pilot and he has been going over this exact thing with them. He made a very nice printed checklist with pictures of the avionics and radios showing them exactly what to push and enter.

[@michaelmiller85]

Still working on the last 100ft prior to touchdown. :) that's the hard part.

[@shep427]

@@michaelmiller85 that was the thing I asked her about. On theirs once you load and activate an approach somewhere the AP will take them down to 50’ AGL. Then…….? Turn the FADECs to off and let the rotor RPM decay to the ground and hope it doesn’t spin, or?! IDK

[@kd5nrh]

@@michaelmiller85 well, it's all pretty forgiving until that last quarter inch.

[@stopatredlights]

From a member: Thank you for being there for us!

[@emitchell4004]

Green is the Machine, Blue is you... you are a great instructor!

[@crnmedic]

As a Paramedic turned ER RN and aspiring fixed wing pilot, I love this video. Loved the patient report at the beginning. Great education and teaching for your left seater. Clear skies and tailwinds.

[@BrashAdventures]

As someone that works in an OCC and had real-world incapacitated single-pilot HEMS situation (likely the very reason you all train this), I appreciate this video greatly. After the incident, we're now trained to try to verbally relay this same instruction to the crewmembers to attempt a run-on after shooting an auto pilot approach kind of like you were starting to do at the end of the video.

[@Mayhem6466]

You guys where just at luray airport refueling and you all waved at my son that means so much to him he is obsessed with choppers and airplanes Thanks guys and gals ..we also listen to you all on big mountain repeater

[@davidhuey3201]

Always great to practice for the unexpected. You hope you never need to use it that way, but, "thank you Jesus" for knowing what to do should your pilot lose consciousness. (Plus, they'll have immediate medical attention afterward.) Fly the aircraft first, then tend patient. Great video and great catch by your "Copilot" of the helicopter lifting in front/underneath you. Can never have too many eyes watching out.

[@nightsta1ker1]

I've been watching your content for ~10 years. You're an inspiration Sir.

[@BoogsieClarke]

Well done Michael, enjoyed the video and good to see you're being SAFE and passing your knowledge on to the next future generation of pilots!!!

[@flightkimulator9612]

Please incapacitate yourself :) I really want to do this for a living. Thank you for sharing!

[@bradlavassaur8265]

Awesome video!! You give a very unique perspective with the camera, and the wide angle view. That EC135 is packed with the latest technology, glass cockpit displays, and all. Very cool!! Thank you for sharing. Have a great day, and safe journeys. I'm certainly a fan of this video channel, and new subscriber. I'm looking forward to seeing the next adventure. 👍👍

[@jbbelk5093]

Lindsay is sharp

[@paulschmitt550]

What a smart idea Michael.

[@chunkyhd8098]

So cool, I live nearby so it’s pretty awesome knowing I may have seen you flying up above. I Appreciate what you do!

[@paulschmitt550]

What a great idea to do this for your crew.

[@roodytjm9282]

GOoD'evening, all safety flight assistant should know how to perform these manipulations. Please follow about South-Fr Riviera, air collision during a primary medevac flight when TCM was able to recover its T3 in these conditions and save onboard crew. Thanks for the video sir. FlySafe ! brotherly

[@mikewyatt307]

Excellent!!!!! As usual Mike

[@rising-phoenix3857]

I live in Winchester see u all the time so cool wish I could do a ride along

[@johannnorris6350]

I think you need to give her the manual of the auto pilot system and she can take it home and read it and learn more about it in emergency 👍👍👍👍

[@brianpeterson9751]

lindsey is a good spotter,was some other helicopter lifting up as you were coming in?she always seems to be looking around very closely.just found your channel today,i subscribed and have been hitting the like button.she also seems very cute.i think it is awesome you teach the crew how to use the autopilot.

[@colt10mmsecurity68]

My agency actually teaches the tactical flight officer to do run-on landings at an airport and declaring an emergency vs trying to land from a hover or using auto pilot. Yeah there’s a “leveling” autopilot feature on our Garmin autopilot, but then what does the passenger do after that? We give several hours of Instructing TFO’s that have zero helicopter time to run it on after pilot incapacitation. After a while, most of them have enough “stick time” that they can all pretty much land helicopters from a hover. It’s not pretty, but they can set it down and walk away unscathed. Eventually we make them pilots.

[@michaelmiller85]

Who do you work for?

[@Travelinmatt1976]

I dont know if it's sexist but I freaking love working with smart women who have that drive to learn stuff.

[@joeglennaz]

I love the thought of you teaching them how to handle a situation if you become incapacitated but what happens when they actually get to the airport how in the world are they going to land the helicopter? Because it doesn’t look like they have dual controls did you guys go over that I don’t even know if Gary could pull you out of the seat I don’t know what’s behind you and even if they could get in your seat I flown the helicopter a couple times and man is it tricky. I’m a thick swing pilot I don’t know how it would happen but if you got an idea I’d love to hear it very good though to teach them. Thanks for sharing.

[@michaelmiller85]

Still working on that one. The idea in my mind would involve setting up an instrument approach and setting up the auto pilot for a fast running landing, 60kts. Still working on it though.

[@joeglennaz]

@@michaelmiller85 I'm not a helicopter pilot but that sounds good

[@cshamm]

Very nice!

[@altonbradley717]

This is a great idea and will probably become mandatory (maybe) across the industry. "You never know..." you never know when that one thing you learned and never thought you would use might save your butts. Otherwise, you are toast.

[@MrSpaz12]

Apparently it can land itself? Crazy cool me thinks. No cyclic, no collective and legs crossed wouldn't work out so well in most other heli's though.

[@michaelmiller85]

No, pilot still has to land or do a fast run on landing via autopilot

[@FM-ig3th]

Dual Pilot...Dual Pilot...live ..learn it.

[@arkansasaviation5299]

Do they make the crew get any sim time to know how to use the controls?

[@michaelmiller85]

No, nit at this time

[@arkansasaviation5299]

@@michaelmiller85 That's something I am planning to do for my crews when I buy the local air ambulance lol

[@av8tore71]

If you're an instructor she can log this!

[@michaelmiller85]

I wish. No duals installed.

[@leutmatho9456]

@@michaelmiller85 I think having a serious conversation with the company about possibly adding duals would be good and having the second seaters go through a small basic flight training in field like you are doing would be good

[@ibelf2465]

Do you have medical training or is your specialty the aviation aspect?

[@michaelmiller85]

Just aviation

[@larrysmith5439]

@@michaelmiller85 love ur vids! Keep them coming!!

[@thesocialjusticegunrack3118]

wow, so basically the helicopter can fly itself?

[@michaelmiller85]

You still have to assist it. Can't hover and auto pilot won't engage below 60kts

[@TianarTruegard]

@@michaelmiller85 I imagine that will improve as technology does. I mean they have drones that can land themselves now (I know there's a big difference between a heli and a drone). My only "flight experience" was RC fixed wing, which didn't go that well, but that was mostly an orientation issue since I was flying using radio control.

[@jimclaytor9834]

Was it hard to get cleared to fly with a band aid on your hand 🤔👍

[@rotorwind177]

Step one: Try to revive the pilot. And hopefully he/she can get it on the ground