Working as a helicopter rescue pilot is very demanding. You must concentrate 100% of the time. Every mistake could be fatal. As a reward, you get to be work with a highly skilled crew, flying one of the most advanced helicopters on the market.
When the weather is nice, a lot of people envy us, because we get to fly above beautiful landscapes. What they don’t know is that most of the time, we work in very rough and dangerous conditions, while trying to rescue someone who needs our help. These kinds of missions demand a lot from crew and the helicopter.
As a young military pilot, I was ordered to western Austria, to check if a camping site besides a river was affected by the ongoing flood. Once we arrived there, we soon realised, that there was no camping site anymore. The river had completely submerged the caravans. Luckily the campers escaped in time and saved themselves to a nearby hilltop. Fortunately, the hilltop was flat enough for us to land. After several hours, we were able to bring everyone to safety. These kinds of missions show how important helicopters are for helping people in need. This day has shaped my further career as a rescue pilot.
Although this job isn’t easy, it is still my dream job. Even though you have to fly at night, in bad weather or windy conditions, it is still the best job in the world in my opinion.