Humbling, it is.
Very few things make one realize the importance of a task than being up on the LifeFlight Helipad, in FlightCom. I was there to effect seemingly minor repairs for a computer when all hell broke loose.
I'm not sure what happened, I'm not sure where it happened... but all of a sudden ten people came storming out of small rooms and ran out to the helipad where two helicopters stood waiting. When they appeared, I put my back into a corner and stayed put; the CAG was watching me warily. I couldn't leave the area without disrupting their movements, so I told the CAG that I'd make sure this corner didn't get away and would stay put 'till he gave the all-clear. He nodded, and proceeded to ignore me; he had two birds to launch. And it wasn't just Vanderbilt's birds that took off; the one on the roof of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital took off too and there were several other helicopters tearing through the local airspace.
Launch they did. You know.. I might not be overly religious, but watching these men and women scramble like that, you can't help but offer up a prayer for their safe flight, safe return, and the health of the person(s) they're scrambling to save.
When the CAG let me out of the corner, I fixed the machine they needed fixing. It might not be as glorious as flying the helicopter to save a life, but they needed that machine running. And running it was, in short order.
A small thing, perhaps. But that machine is running, and it was able to allow FlightOps to do their jobs
Surely, though not very glorious, there's a little bit to take pride in, there.
-Hinoki
I'm not sure what happened, I'm not sure where it happened... but all of a sudden ten people came storming out of small rooms and ran out to the helipad where two helicopters stood waiting. When they appeared, I put my back into a corner and stayed put; the CAG was watching me warily. I couldn't leave the area without disrupting their movements, so I told the CAG that I'd make sure this corner didn't get away and would stay put 'till he gave the all-clear. He nodded, and proceeded to ignore me; he had two birds to launch. And it wasn't just Vanderbilt's birds that took off; the one on the roof of Vanderbilt Children's Hospital took off too and there were several other helicopters tearing through the local airspace.
Launch they did. You know.. I might not be overly religious, but watching these men and women scramble like that, you can't help but offer up a prayer for their safe flight, safe return, and the health of the person(s) they're scrambling to save.
When the CAG let me out of the corner, I fixed the machine they needed fixing. It might not be as glorious as flying the helicopter to save a life, but they needed that machine running. And running it was, in short order.
A small thing, perhaps. But that machine is running, and it was able to allow FlightOps to do their jobs
Surely, though not very glorious, there's a little bit to take pride in, there.
-Hinoki