GPS Tracking ROI

The Wichita-based air ambulance service receives certification for its equipment and training program
BY PHYLLIS JACOBS GRIEKSPOOR
The Wichita Eagle

Wichita-based EagleMed has become a leader among the nation’s approximately 650 air ambulance service providers with FAA acceptance of its Air Ambulance Flight Coordinator Training and Certification program.

EagleMed’s enhanced equipment for flight following and training program for communications personnel were certified this week by a Federal Aviation Administration official as fully compliant. Full article here:

Here’s the kind of story I like to post. Instead of a company whining and complaining about how much safety costs and why the government shouldn’t impose regulations and on and one, the leadership at EagleMed stood up to their responsibilities and not only met, but exceeded requirements. realizing they get paid to lead rather than complain the demanded excellence from their folks and they got it.

When I talk here often about GPS tracking unit’s I am often referring to simple units in the few-hundred dollar range. They work fine for delivery trucks but they won’t do the job, particularly in accuracy that’s required for aeronautical missions. Especially air ambulance missions and most especially helicopter air ambulance work. To properly equip a medevac helicopter is going to run $15,000 or so, and as this article points out, it’s going to require training and changes in corporate work flow to make the best use of the system.

But just stop an think for a moment what this company gains. No long are their expensive aircraft and priceless crews of on their own depending solely on pilot’s judgment to always know where they are. No longer would there be any doubt which aircraft is closest to an emergency situation. It takes time for people to learn, but Peter Drucker’s (RIP, Professor Drucker) phrase from 50 plus years ago is as true now as it was then.

Those of you who are both Internet and Aviation savvy may already know of any of a number of sites like www.flightaware.com that already ‘track’ aircraft in flight … in some cases, for free. So why should an aviation company spend a lot to equip their fleet with duplicate technology?

An excellent question. The Internet sites we’re talking about track the radar transponder returns from in flight aircraft as recorded (and filtered) through the FAA’s network of ground stations. In addition to the fact these public sites are required to be time delayed by law, they won’t work worth a darn for aeromedevac helicopters flying up mountain canyons and flying at nap of the earth altitudes a hundred and fifty miles from the nearest radar site. You have a high value asset … you, not the Federal government on a whim needs to track it.