Northern Colorado Med Evac bird strike-good job!

[on2flight]

Great job to the crew Northern Colorado Med Evac after a bird strike about 0110 local this morning!

[Brood11384]

WoW that is crazy! Awesome pilot just stays calm.

[cessna157]

Haha, at least he kept his sense of humor about it.

"Tower, it was a pigeon.  Yeah, he's here in my lap still"

[atcman23]

New in-flight meal?? 

[Qantas119]

Did i hear him say that the aircraft was a helicopter. if so this pilot was extremely calm, was his whole screen cracked, if so the heating to the windshield wasn't on.  that should have prevented most of the crack or the penetration of the Plexiglas.

ATCMAN23, by in-flight meal you mean chicken gizzards? extremely rare.

Did you hear about the Red Bull Air Race bird strike on Hannes Arches plane, the seagull disintergrated.
www.redbullairrace.com
click on the San Diego link on top.

[atcman23]

Yeah I believe it was pureed pigeon.  And chopper pilots are always calm on the radio... at least that's what I've had a couple of them tell me.

[joeyb747]

I had to listen twice, did anyone else notice the callsign of the other aircraft? The helicopter was "Lifeguard 911GX"(Ref 20 sec mark), the airplane was "Lifeguard 587PB"(Ref 5:30 mark). Were they both air ambulances? Usually isn't that the only situation that "Lifeguard" would be used?

"He's in my lap still." 

[SASD209]

   587PB comes back as a Beech C90A twin turboprop leased to Eagle Air Med. The helicopter comes back as a Bell 407 air ambulance. Not sure if this helps, but there it is.

[atcman23]

The call sign "Lifeguard" is only reserved for aircraft who are actually transporting an injured person (or on their way to pick up one).  The aircraft type does not matter, and use of the word "Lifeguard" implies that a controller will provide priority service to that aircraft.  It's a civil aviation term; if a military aircraft wants to use the term "Lifeguard," they must request permission.  And saying "Air Evac" doesn't usually cut it.

So yes, it sounds like both aircraft were  air ambulances.

[joeyb747]

The call sign "Lifeguard" is only reserved for aircraft who are actually transporting an injured person (or on their way to pick up one).  The aircraft type does not matter, and use of the word "Lifeguard" implies that a controller will provide priority service to that aircraft.  It's a civil aviation term; if a military aircraft wants to use the term "Lifeguard," they must request permission.  And saying "Air Evac" doesn't usually cut it.

So yes, it sounds like both aircraft were  air ambulances.

That's what I was thinking...just had to make sure! Thanks atcman23 and SASD209! A year ago, I flew along on an Anglewings flight that brought my brother-in-law home for Christmas. He is active Army 82nd Airborne, injured in Iraq. We used the callsign "Angle Flight" then the tail number...it escapes me now...long flight riding backwards next to a stretcher in a B36 Bonanza! From Gaithersburg MD (Montgomery County) (KGAI) to Jackson MI (KJAX), then back after New Years.

[mkop]

Quite a lot of departure from standard phraseology.

Is Centennial tower an FAA tower or a contract tower?

[walkerb52]

As of 2002 it was number 2 on the FAA list of airports to contract out tower operations.  I'm not sure if that ever when through though.
If you want I can swing by on my way home and ask someone.   

[walkerb52]

I had to listen twice, did anyone else notice the callsign of the other aircraft? The helicopter was "Lifeguard 911GX"(Ref 20 sec mark), the airplane was "Lifeguard 587PB"(Ref 5:30 mark). Were they both air ambulances? Usually isn't that the only situation that "Lifeguard" would be used?

"He's in my lap still." 

There are two possibilities for the second lifeguard mention in this audio, but almost certainly it's one of the International Jet Aviation planes based at Centennial.

They run an AirLife service that transports pediatric and trauma patients for HealthONE across a seven state area.  They also run the Air Ambulance service out of Centennial which is used to transport doctors and organs for transplants as needed. Both are 24/7/365 services on constant standby down at Centennial.

[joeyb747]

I had to listen twice, did anyone else notice the callsign of the other aircraft? The helicopter was "Lifeguard 911GX"(Ref 20 sec mark), the airplane was "Lifeguard 587PB"(Ref 5:30 mark). Were they both air ambulances? Usually isn't that the only situation that "Lifeguard" would be used?

"He's in my lap still." 

There are two possibilities for the second lifeguard mention in this audio, but almost certainly it's one of the International Jet Aviation planes based at Centennial.

They run an AirLife service that transports pediatric and trauma patients for HealthONE across a seven state area.  They also run the Air Ambulance service out of Centennial which is used to transport doctors and organs for transplants as needed. Both are 24/7/365 services on constant standby down at Centennial.

Awesome info! Thanks!