WHAT IS IT?
The National Emergency Medical Services Pilots Association (NEMSPA) is excited to announce our new program, "Medical Pilot Career Launch." This immersive experience is designed to provide aspiring or current air medical pilots with an in-depth look at the dynamic and rewarding world of air medical transport and how to have a long successful career.
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Taking place at VERTICON 2025
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We have picked educational sessions(VAI term Foundations) that align with the Air Medical Industry that will be happening March 11-13
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We will also be providing a self guided tour of the showroom floor with Vendors relating to the Air Medical Industry.
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On March 11 from 3:30 to 5pm, the program will feature a packed panel of professionals, sharing their advice and experience in how to be successful in the air Medical industry. The panel will consist of professionals from Metro Aviation, Air Methods, GMR, Life Link III, Life Flight Network, Intermountain Life Flight and Dallas CareFlight.
This jam packed schedule will consist of educational sessions, hands-on demonstrations, and networking opportunities. Participants will have the chance to learn from experienced pilots, explore the latest industry advancements, gain valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of this critical profession and how to advance your career and how to stay successful in the Air medical Industry.
Program Highlights:
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In-depth educational sessions: Covering a wide range of topics.
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Hands-on demonstrations: Participants will have the opportunity to explore aircraft, patient care equipment, and other essential tools of the trade
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Networking opportunities: Connect with industry professionals, including pilots, medical crew members, and leading aviation companies
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Mentorship: Experienced pilots will share their knowledge and expertise through panel discussions and one-on-one interactions​
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LAUNCH YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL
program outline
Day one: TuesdaY, March 11th
10:00-11:00am
Risk: Why Do We See It Differently?
Speaker:
Ken Cereny
The vertical flight industry is about taking and mitigating risks to accomplish amazing things. But how we perceive those risks and address them is often based on our individual personalities and experiences. The one-size-fits-all approach to risk mitigation may not be the best solution when providing guidance and control measures. Our personal preferences and tendencies can provide significant insight into how we approach risk avoidance, mitigation, and related decisions. This session will describe how to improve risk taking, management, and mitigation by looking at the specific individual taking the risks.
10:30-5:00
Career Fair
The VAI Vertical Aviation Industry Career Fair connects job seekers, recruiters, and those looking to network.
*NEMSPA will be providing a free professional photographer to take headshots so you can update your professional image
12:15-1:15
Reimagining the Reasons for Human Error: A Guide to Learning, Not Blaming
Speakers:
Jeffrey Kotson
Susan Gidding- Life Flight Network
This session will examine human error. Attendees will learn how Life Flight Network implemented a human-factors and ergonomics team and hardwired a culture of learning throughout the organization. The team exists primarily to establish more thoughtful and thorough investigations into the causes of events chronicled in quality management and safety reports. By studying the human factors that contributed to the events, we can better understand why they occurred and thus develop more successful resolutions and systems for preventing their recurrence.
1:00-2:00
Adverse Weather: Perception Versus Reality
Speaker:
Ian Johnson- FAA
Weather-related accidents continue to result in a high number of aviation fatalities each year. Poor or improper pilot decision-making has been identified as a causal factor in many of these accidents. Pilot perception of weather displays versus actual weather plays a vital role in the decision-making process. Incorrect perception of weather displays can lead pilots to ignore or misinterpret external visual cues that require their attention and action. This session will discuss factors that affect pilot weather perception, explore the influences of such perception, examine accidents and incidents in which the pilot relied on perception versus reality, and review tools available to identify, assess, and mitigate risk.
2:30-3:30
IFR Chart Clinic and Refresher
Speaker:
Chris Baur- Hughes Aerospace
This session will offer a comprehensive exploration of IFR charting tailored for helicopter pilots. Participants will delve into the intricacies of IFR charts, covering nomenclature, symbology, and standard charting conventions. The instructor will detail the organization and presentation of charted information essential for understanding instrument flight procedures. Through interactive discussions and practical examples, this session aims to enhance the proficiency of pilots in interpreting and utilizing IFR charts effectively.
3:30-5:00
Professional Air Medical Pilot Panel
Speakers:
Jenn Kileen- RN Careflight Dallas
John Vance- DO Metro Aviation
Andy Ueland- CP Life Link III
Brett Reeder- Pilot Intermountain Health
Jeff Pratt- Apollo
Gene Reynolds- Moderator- Life Flight Network
Panel discussion: "A Day in the Life of an Air Medical Pilot" featuring experienced pilots, Chief Pilots, Director of Operations and Hiring Managers
Day two: Wednesday, MARCH 12th
8:00 am - 9:00am
NEMSPA member meeting
11:00 am - 12:00 Pm
Fueling the Skies: Balancing Fitness, Nutrition, and the Pilot Lifestyle.
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Speaker:
Lashae Bacon
All are invited to the National EMS Pilots Association Annual Member meeting. Room A306/307
​The instructor will tackle common concerns about pilot health and answer frequently asked questions related to fitness and nutrition. The session will also cover how to improve cognition and energy and address how to make pilot fitness and nutrition more efficient.
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Lessons Learned from Maintenance-Related Helicopter Accidents
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Speaker:
Jeff Guzzetti- Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery
Lessons Learned from Maintenance-Related Helicopter Accidents
This dynamic 60-minute session will present an overview of several fatal helicopter accidents from diverse operations. A review of these investigations reveals a handful of common hazards that could have been avoided with a modicum of risk mitigation. The instructor will present key lessons to help attendees enhance safety. The objective of this session is to explain the hidden yet common hazards that frequently lead to helicopter accidents and what can be done to eliminate or mitigate these hazards.
1:30pm - 2:30 pm
Human-Factors Analysis of Accidents and Incidents in Helicopter Air Ambulance Operations
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Speaker:
Hannah Baumgartner- FAA
This session will review human-factors risks and considerations following an analysis of accidents and incidents in helicopter air ambulance (HAA) operations from 2014–2023. The events were taken from voluntary safety reports from NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System and the National Transportation Safety Board database of accidents and serious incidents. The speaker will also review human-factors issues related to personnel and organizational risk factors from these accidents and incidents.
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
This session will explore how deviating from aviation protocols and allowing complacency to set in can become a “normal” procedure and lead to unfortunate or even tragic results.
Skill or Luck? The Hidden Trap in Normalization of Deviance
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Speakers:
Lance Fisher CFII
Philipp Carl- Helistream
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
DVE-Induced SD, Recognition, and Recovery
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Speakers:
Tyson Phillips- AT Systems
Jill Browning- Sikorsky
Cliff Johnson- FAA
This session will cover the FAA’s Air Carrier Training Aviation Rulemaking Committee syllabus, including the use of accident reviews.
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Human Performance: What Are We Doing (and Not Doing) that Impacts Flight Operations?
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Speaker:
Dudley Crosson- Airborne Public Safety Association
The speaker will discuss various aspects of life that most flight crews don’t think of as affecting flight operations, including medication, nutrition, dietary supplements, and other topics.
Day three: Thursday, March 13th
8:30 am - 9:30 am
When Problem-Solving Undermines Safety
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Speaker:
Lucca Filippo- LCF
How can problem-solving become a safety risk? In this interactive workshop, flight safety expert Lucca Filippo will build on the paper “When Problem-Solving Prevents Organizational Learning” (Tucker et al. 2001). The session will explain how the way an organization’s frontline workers deal with operational problems often can pose a major threat to safety. The speaker will ask attendees to reflect on the reasoning behind “negative” forms of problem-solving and provide tools that better manage safety by maximizing organizational learning.
9:15 am - 10:15 am
Outwitting Murphy’s Law: The Importance of Proper Pre- and Post-Flight Inspections and Final Walk-Arounds
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Speaker:
Phillip Carl- Helistream
This session will investigate an accident that was partly found to have occurred due to a lack of proper preflight procedures. It will also introduce the concept of human errors and focus on different types of human errors as well as complacency and biases. The instructor will review best practices recommended by the US Helicopter Safety Team in Helicopter-Safety Enhancement 28 and lead a discussion about how everyone can help promote and improve safety, with a special emphasis on the flight instructor’s role.
SIGN UP
Fill out the form below to sign up and we will send you the discount code to attend the show floor
National EMS Pilots Association