Tell Me About a Time (TMAT): Helicopter Interview Questions — Part 5
TMAT Question: Tell me about a time when you had to manage significant in-flight changes.
Situation
While conducting a MEDEVAC approximately 150 nautical miles offshore from a deep-draft vessel, my crew and I were tasked with transporting a patient to definitive care. The initial plan was to recover the patient and land in Astoria, Oregon where the patient would then be transferred to a ground ambulance for transport to a hospital.
Operating with a fixed-wing escort aircraft gave us an opportunity to gather additional weather information en route.
Task
My responsibility was to safely transport the patient while continuously evaluating weather, aircraft performance, and destination suitability. I needed to be prepared to adapt the plan if conditions changed—while ensuring both patient care and flight safety remained the top priorities.
Action
As we progressed toward shore, the fixed-wing escort provided updated weather information indicating that conditions in Astoria were significantly worse than forecast, while conditions in the Portland area were improving and better than expected.
Based on this new information, I reassessed our recovery plan. I coordinated with the crew and air traffic control, filed an IFR flight plan, and as we approached the coast, executed an IFR pickup, allowing us to bypass the deteriorating weather in Astoria and continue safely to the Portland area.
Throughout the process, I ensured the crew was aligned on the revised plan, verified fuel and performance margins, and coordinated the patient transfer directly to a Portland area hospital.
Result
The patient was delivered safely to a higher level of care than originally planned, improving the timeliness and quality of medical treatment. From an aviation standpoint, the decision to adapt the plan and operate IFR significantly reduced weather-related risk and ensured a stable, predictable recovery to land.
This experience underscored how crucial it is to remain flexible during long-range MEDEVAC missions, actively use all available resources, and be willing to change the plan when new information improves both patient outcomes and flight safety.
The Real Deal – Additional discretionary information
Sometimes helicopter crews hesitate to pick up an IFR clearance because they assume it will slow the transport. In reality, I’ve found that ATC is typically eager to help—especially when you’re carrying a patient or actively prosecuting a rescue. They will often provide shortcuts, priority handling, and routing that you simply don’t get while picking your way along VFR.
This was another case where filing and flying IFR wasn’t just the safer option—it was the more efficient one as well.
