UK air ambulance introduces MCC operations
UK-based Air Medical Ltd (AirMed), an operator of single pilot fixed-wing aircraft for air ambulance purposes, recently announced that it has gained approval for multi-crew co-operation (MCC) operations.
UK-based Air Medical Ltd (AirMed), an operator of single pilot fixed-wing aircraft for air ambulance purposes, recently announced that it has gained approval for multi-crew co-operation (MCC) operations, and will be implementing these procedures, saying that it is the first outfit of its kind to do so. AirMed decided in 2013 that it wished to implement MCC rules for its fleet of Piper Cheyenne IIIA turboprop planes, as the company’s director of business development Jane Topliss explained: “Following comprehensive risk assessments and a growing number of requests from our clients, AirMed took the decision in spring 2013 to apply for an MCC approval on the turboprop fleet. Safety is absolutely paramount … and with the added complexities associated with air ambulance transfers, we felt that the only appropriate decision was to become a multi-crew operator across all of our aircraft types.”
AirMed’s director of flight operations Richard Napper, meanwhile, described what turned out to be a complex process: “In order to become a multi-crew operator, we needed to make changes to our Air Training Organisation (ATO) approval to incorporate multi-pilot training instead of single pilot (SP). This was in conjunction with writing and getting approval for the new MCC standard operating procedures (SOPs) and ensuring that our existing SP instructors and examiners obtained licences to provide multi-pilot training. It has taken a considerable amount of time and effort from our team, however everything is now in place and we believe we are a much safer air ambulance operation.”
Single pilot aircraft often include two flight crew, but AirMed determined that such an ‘unintegrated approach’ might not be as efficient or safe as an MCC approach. “The benefits garnered from having two pilots working as a fully integrated and trained team with specific roles through all phases of flight, including preparation, is extremely clear and mistakes and omissions are very rare,” said Napper. “However, putting two pilots together who don’t have clearly defined roles can, on occasion, lead to confusion.”