TRAINING & RESOURCES

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Patient AirLift Services Pilot Training & Resources

Before you apply to be a volunteer pilot for PALS, please take the time to read and understand our Pilot Handbook, recommendations, guidelines and other information. PALS also encourages all pilots interested in volunteering to learn more about PIC qualifications before flying.

2022 Pilot Town Hall Recap

We had an exciting town hall and were honored to have retired USAF flight test engineer and SR-71 Reconnaissance Systems Operator, Phil Soucy. We gathered his responses to your questions as well as the chat room transcript.

Pilot Safety Committee News

Read the latest Pilot Safety Committee News from our recent newsletter tips and insights from one of our volunteer pilots, Terry Flood. 

Download our latest Pilot Brochure for yourself or a friend.

For over 13 years PALS has been connecting great volunteer pilots with the people who need their skill and talent. Whether it’s a medical flight, supply mission or any other transportation need, pilots like you are what make the difference for so many lives.

Pilot’s Handbook

An indispensable resource for all new (and current) volunteer pilots. It provides tons of helpful information and can answer many questions you may have in regards to flying with PALS.

Pilot Mentors

NOTE: The contact info for any of the pilots listed below can be found in the Pilot Community or by calling the office
State First Name Last Name Primary Home Base
CT
Robert
Statius-Muller
Danbury Muni
CT
George
McMillin
Groton/New London
CT
Kurt
Fischer
Chester
DE
Daniel
McCardle
New Castle
DE
John
Garner
New Castle
MA
Christopher
Steward
Norwood Memorial
MA
Jeff
Scorse
Fitchburg Muni
MA
Adam
Broun
Laurence G Hanscom Fld
MA
Mark
Hanson
Norwood Memorial
MD
Malinda
Caywood
Frederick Muni
ME
James
Schmidt
Auburn/Lewiston Municipal Airport
ME
Jeffrey
Gorman
Portland Intl Jetport
ME
Thomas
Quinby
Brunswick Executive Airport
MI
David
Robertson
St Clair County Intl
NC
James
Monroe
Smith Reynolds
NH
James
Ennis
Mount Washington Rgnl
NH
David
Pascoe
Boire Field
NJ
Francis
Adriaens
Somerset
NJ
Sreedhar
Velicheti
Somerset
NY
Jeffrey
Gilbert
Republic Airport
NY
Terrence
Flood
Long Island Mac Arthur
NY
Peter
Lautensack
Oswego County
NY
Michael
Harbater
Republic Airport
NY
Patrick
Murphy
Westchester County
NY
Lee
Verrone
Westchester County
OH
Greg
Ciliberti
Lebanon-Warren County
NY
Ronald
Becker
Akron-Canton Regional
VA
Robin
Dreeke
Shannon
VT
Daniel
Brown
Rutland State

Pilot Safety Committee News - Terry Flood

Currency to Proficiency

Don’t be like Phil and hibernate the next few weeks!


A few weeks ago on Feb 2nd, Punxsutawney Phil made his prediction of 6 more weeks of winter on Groundhog Day. Like Phil, many pilots hibernate for the winter, and will wait out the 6 more weeks before deciding to fly more often, or perhaps elect not to fly at all until warmer weather has arrived.

Simply ask yourself how many hours have I flown since November? Is it less than what I have flown in May thru October? Do you have your 3 landings in over the past 90 days, or if your instrument rated the 6 approaches, tracking courses and a hold for your IFR currency? Some may start to see where I’m going with the article. Perhaps you’re not current, or perhaps your current, but not proficient. What we want to strive for is proficiency.

Being current is what the FAA wants you to be to fulfill a legal requirement before acting as pilot in command. A pilot that flies only to fulfill being current, is certainly not proficient. Being proficient means, according to the Webster’s Dictionary “fully competent in any art, science or subject” acting as PIC of an aircraft is surely included.

  1. To become proficient, one must first become current. Being proficient means that you practiced your skillset. Practicing makes a proficient pilot, but only if you learn from your mistakes and resolve to do better each time you fly. Getting better with every flight requires you to understand where you fell short on the last one, ask yourself why it happened, and how to make corrections to avoid the shortfalls on the next flight. One way to assess where you’re at is to use the 4 R’s assessment after the flight that can be found in the FAA Aviation Instructor’s Handbook:
    Replay the flight in your mind, taking note of what you did well and what you need to improve
  2. Reconstruct the maneuvers where you made mistakes and what could have been done differently
  3. Reflect on the most important lessons you learned from this specific flight
  4. Redirect those lessons to your planning for the next flight
    Over the next few weeks, the weather will be warming up, planes will be coming out of the hangars and winter storage, and pilots will be looking to fly, perhaps for the first time in months. Please consider using these next few weeks to improve your skillset, and move from being current, to being proficient.

If you’re not current or perhaps are current, but feel you’re not proficient, please call a local flight instructor to practice your skills. Run through the 4 R’s and perhaps go back up with the instructor until you feel that your skillset is rising to the proficiency level. An additional option is to visit the faa website and participate in the FAA Wings Program and the resources available at www.faasafety.gov.

At PALS, we desire for you all to be safe, current, and proficient pilots. Being current AS WELL AS proficient is the greatest gift we can give our passengers.

Blue Skies and Tailwinds,
Terrence Flood
Pilot and Safety Committee Chair