August has me traveling back to Gallup, NM. Flew into Albuquerque then drove to Gallup. Staffing is lopsided this hitch – More medical crews than pilots or planes. Historically this is usually inverted according to friends who have been around a few years. That said – We flew less than in previous assignments just due to the lack of pilots and planes. Regardless we did fly but it did allow me to eat warm meals and have time to make friends instead of just fly and sleep.
Half way through the assignment I was asked to relocate to Albuquerque base for the remainder of my time. The first 2 days I flew with a medic from Gallup. We had a few transports and tons of computer issues. Our first day was long as we waited for both the President to leave the area and weather to clear through so we could fly back to base. The last 3 days I was partnered up with a friend from my new hire academy and our plane went out of service for a fuel leak the remainder of my assignment. Spent the rest of the time catching up with my friend, eating, and going through all the bags and all the equipment in depth to prep for a state inspection coming up. We also took time to catch up on our online learning.
At the end of the assignment I was able to meet and have coffee with Sam – a fellow nurse from my time back at Roanoke Memorial.
This hitch was not as crazy with high flight volume but we stayed steady doing deep dive gear checks and education. The biggest plus was having the time to slow down and talk to my coworkers and friends. Its not fun to be down for planes or staffing but its a blessing to slow down and build friendships with your coworkers and for that – I’m thankful for this assignment.
Seek adventure and get busy living.
-Ben