New Job & New Home

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Week 7

45

My New Home in the Sky

I was hired by Global Jet Care, an air ambulance service that flies all over the world from its base in Brookville, FL. Instead of transporting injured people over roads in traditional ambulances, we transport them by jet aircraft equipped like ambulances.

The company arranges 24-hour worldwide service. Medical staff members consult with a patient’s physician and assemble the appropriate medical team and equipment. I was really proud when my company received the 2019 International Life Sciences award for its excellence in the field.

The planes we use are all the Learjet 35/36 model. These have a relatively long range for jets of their size and can fly 2,056 miles nonstop. They hold a total of 8,150 pounds of fuel and fuel consumption is considered excellent. They  also have good handling characteristics and fast cruise speeds.

Sci & Tech say:  Learn more about . . .

Take the Sci/Tech Challenge:

If we had full fuel onboard our Learjet 35, to which of the following places could we fly to from Orlando, without stopping: Bermuda? Mexico City? Montreal? Salt Lake City? Anchorage?

46

On the Inside

Inside, our air ambulance Learjet 35/36 is medically equipped for advanced life support and holds one stretcher. All flights carry state-of-the-art equipment including oxygen along with suction, infusion pumps, respiratory and intubation equipment; volume ventilator; pulse oximeter; cardiac monitor and defibrillator; and cardiac drugs.

The medical transport team is generally composed of a critical care nurse and a highly-skilled paramedic. In specific cases a respiratory therapist, pediatric specialist and/or physician may be added to the transport team. In addition to the patient, there is usually only room for one other person to come along. It is typically a family member.

You might be interested to know that there is no bathroom onboard. So, once the cabin door is closed, all passengers and crew must wait until they are inside the terminal at the next stop. Most legs of our long domestic or international flights last about 6 hours before we have to stop and refuel.  Because of our air ambulance status, airport personnel and customs agents usually try to move us through quickly. However, there have been times when unforeseen delays have created really uncomfortable situations.

Sci & Tech say:  Learn more about . . .

Take the Sci/Tech Challenge:

Do a web search to find out more about the medical equipment and/or medical personnel listed above. Share your findings in an email to muccij@burnsscitech.org.

47

Olive Meets Sci

IMG_2941Because my new job was based in Brookville, FL, it was necessary for me to leave Spruce Creek and move near enough to be ready to fly with only two hours’ notice. I found a roommate, rented a nice apartment in a nearby town and began to settle in.

One of the first things we did was to get a fur friend – an 8-week-old rescue we named Olive. We found her at an adoption event sponsored by a pet store that features  animals from the local animal shelter. It was love at first sight.

Although tiny in size, she was fearless and endlessly curious. It did not take her long to find and stalk Sci, who just ignored her.

Sci & Tech say:  Learn more about . . .

Take the Sci/Tech Challenge:

Browse through your Media Center for books about cats. Create a display of them for the school or your classroom.

48

Super-Sized Super Guppy

One of the great things about living in central Florida is being so close to the action at Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It is exciting to see the launches in person, but it is also great fun to spend the day at KSC Visitors Complex.

In July of 2019, NASA’s super Guppy Aircraft delivered, to Kennedy Space Center, the heat shield for the first Artemis Mission with astronauts. Notice, on the photo from Wikimedia Commons, the size of the plane compared to the people on the left.

The Super Guppy’s history dates back to the Apollo program. It was used in the 1960s to carry parts of the Saturn V rocket from California to Florida. The other option NASA had was to ship rocket stages through the Panama Canal, which would often take weeks or months longer.

Sci & Tech say:  Learn more about . . .

Take the Sci/Tech Challenge:

The Super Guppy cruises at 250 mph. Assuming no head or tail winds, how long would it take to fly direct from the Houston Space Center to the Kennedy Space Center? (Hint: Do not use driving distance mileage. Use a map or online flight mileage calculator.)

49

Sun ‘n Fun

For flying enthusiasts, one of the greatest events in Florida is the annual Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo held each spring in Lakeland. It is a celebration of all things that fly. You can drive or fly in for the day, come in your RV or even camp under the wing of your plane overnight. There are educational exhibits, flying demonstrations and vendors, but most of all you can revel in the feeling of being surrounded by folks who love flying as much as you do. Also, proceeds from events held on the Sun ‘n Fun Expo Campus fund over $2 million annually in aviation scholarships and education programs.

Last year I took this photo that is one of my favorites. It features an Aeroshell Aerobatic Team’s T-6 in the foreground at sunrise, against a background of a balloon launch. Hunter knows most of the guys who fly with that team. We got to hang out with them in their tent and Hunter flew aerobatics with them.

That is memorable because they are such a world-famous team!  They are awesome pilots who are highly credible in the aviation community. It was like meeting aviation royalty.

Sci & Tech say:  learn more about . . . .

Take the Sci/Tech Challenge:

Do a web search for aviation scholarships for teens to find sources to help you fund a career in aviation.