FAA "Lifeguard" Flights?

[Gerard]

So last evening I was checking the "Lifeguard" flight explorer ( http://www/flightweb.com/flight_explorer/ ) and
noticed two FAA aircraft working as Lifeguard flights, N10 and N11 (a Beech A200). This isnt the first time I've
seen these aircraft working as Lifeguard flights. The aircraft on this site also are all ships that have filed IFR with
ATC. So does anyone know the story here? Are they training flights or IFR test flights?
Thanks.

PS - please dont change the servers RIGHT AFTER I typed up the post (like last night)!! :lol:

[Gerard]

http://www/flightweb.com/flight_explorer/

uh http://www.flightweb.com/flight_explorer/

[HPNPilot1200]

So last evening I was checking the "Lifeguard" flight explorer ( http://www/flightweb.com/flight_explorer/ ) and
noticed two FAA aircraft working as Lifeguard flights, N10 and N11 (a Beech A200). This isnt the first time I've
seen these aircraft working as Lifeguard flights. The aircraft on this site also are all ships that have filed IFR with
ATC. So does anyone know the story here? Are they training flights or IFR test flights?
Thanks.

PS - please dont change the servers RIGHT AFTER I typed up the post (like last night)!! :lol:

Those aircraft are civilian air ambulance flights that are authorized to use the callsign to receive priority handling by ATC.

FlightAware.com (http://flightaware.com/live/special/lifeguard/) has the same function to track aircraft filed as a "lifeguard" flight.

[Gerard]

>Those aircraft are civilian air ambulance flights that are authorized to use the callsign to receive priority handling by ATC.<

But if you look up the N #s, N10 comes up "reserved" by the FAA while N11 is a Beech A200 owned by the FAA.

[HPNPilot1200]

>Those aircraft are civilian air ambulance flights that are authorized to use the callsign to receive priority handling by ATC.<

But if you look up the N #s, N10 comes up "reserved" by the FAA while N11 is a Beech A200 owned by the FAA.

It's the FAA, they do lots of screwy things no one can explain and it's 100% legal because they're the gov'ment. I would try to come up with an answer, but I honestly don't have one. Anything I come up with would be an FAA joke and completely off-topic.

[moose135]

From the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Sect 4-2-4B:

Because of the priority afforded air ambulance flights in the ATC system, extreme discretion is necessary when using the term "LIFEGUARD." It is only intended for those missions of an urgent medical nature and to be utilized only for that portion of the flight requiring expeditious handling.
It goes on to say:

Civilian air ambulance flights responding to medical emergencies (first call to an accident scene, carrying patients, organ donors, organs, or other urgently needed lifesaving medical material) will be expedited by ATC when necessary.
While the section uses the term "air ambulance flights", it is not restricted only to aircraft configured and used as air ambulances. It can be a biz jet carrying a patient, a cargo plane carrying medical supplies to a disaster scene, or even an airliner carrying organs for donation. It's quite possible these FAA aircraft using the Lifeguard callsign are doing something like that.

[lijk604]

We've transported Livers and hearts before and we were allowed to use the "Lifeguard" call sign.
These were both transported in a Hawker 800 which normally is taking rich people where they want to go.

[Gerard]

>It's the FAA, they do lots of screwy things no one can explain and it's 100% legal because they're the gov'ment. <

Yeah I know. Like the FAA inspectors who were "threatened" for "Whistle blowing" on the Southwest
airline problems. THey had congressional hearings on this yesterday. These guys did a great job but
with the FAA in bed with the airlines they were made out to be the bad guys!! Sad!!


>I would try to come up with an answer, but I honestly don't have one. <

Thanks anyway.