pilot

nurse

aircraft maintenance technician

paramedic

aircraft mechanic

Air Methods

1. Little to no training was provided to me when I started. The supervisor training me was already overworked and burned out with no support from manager. Most of the tools we have for the job didn't work properly to start, and the process improvement was always promised but never attained. Simple system training tools and or supervisor training would help a ton. Even the supervisor admitted they were not trained to take on the new tasks at hand and had a hard time balancing everything. We were both left with a number of unsolved problems with no help to communicate effectively to the parties it trickled over to and no time to make mistakes or learn how to do things before being shoved into the mix. It seemed to be always our fault why things didn't work properly, but most of the time it was another issue we could not disclose with parties about. I didn't take a lunch break the first month of work because I was so busy and stressed out.

2. Management has no idea what their people do on the daily. Because the tools we were given don't work properly and we are left tracking, getting approvals, and a number of things manually. This completely slows down our efficiency and creates slow downs for work flows. Management continues to demand answers on results not met, but refuses to roll up their sleeves and see a day in the life of everyone. Even when goals are met there is no encouragement or pat on the back from people other than direct team members. There are no encouraging remarks or sense of care for their employees. We were simply robots asked to produce numbers with no questions asked on how it will effect our departments.

3. Communication is a problem interdepartmentally and up the chain. Because managers don't understand the current workload, they promise upper management things that strain lower employees. Commands are given to employees with no explanation on why the ELT made decisions or how they formed the demands being executed. Communication was shared with managers and then lost in translation. There are so many hands in the pot with no communication organization to be sure all updates are shared and distributed properly. Leaving employees dumb founded when they make a mistake due to lack of communication. A lot of pointing fingers and "above my paygrade" remarks.

4. High turnover and no stability.
Unfortunately there are many confidential searches to fill roles for people who have been with the company for years. Some employees blind sighted by being fired without any former disciplinary action or coaching. Many people leaving the company because they had been promised a raise, and saw the ads posted for open positions were higher than the current salary. Compensation and benefits not competitive for hourly employees. Supervisors and Management being moved around or quitting with no transition plans or understanding for the people left to pick up the pieces. 

Overall a really unorganized and one of the worst companies I have ever worked for. I'm not one to bail, but have no problem leaving a company that does not have their employees best intentions and continues to point fingers and create metrics and goals that have been made with no realistic understanding of what it takes to get there. 


Only apply if you want to be a "yes-man/maam". the company service is legit, but the managers are utterly awful. there is no training for management, so as you can imagine, the managers have no idea of how to keep people. They focus on numbers, not people. Managers egos are out of control I was there for a few months, in that time 8 ppl from my department alone, left (including a manager) so that should tell you something :\ Management only cares about numbers, so you don't exist unless you make urself feel inferior to them and work a ridiculous amount of accounts. Some coworkers are kool, morale is depressing since management only look at numbers, no one cares about the "culture" of the office. Typical day is a grind because every time you talk to people, its about a tragedy since the company provides air ambulance service. So be prepared to clock in and deal with heartbreak :( There is little training, mostly you sink or swim. Leads are over-worked and stressed out constantly. I've learned that no matter how bad you have it, someone is going through worse, so be grateful and show compassion for all. Also, its better to leave an work environment that is "depressive" due to the lack of support/training of management, than to stay for the paycheck. Lastly, I've learned that management does not earn our loyalty, so we quit or leave as soon as an another job comes up, because management doesn't value their  people. This is why the attrition is so high, and will remain that way. they see only what you do wrong, no positive reinforcement. Best part? helping someone payoff debt after an accident, Worst part? dealing with a depressing workplace, incompetent managers, admitting to myself that I deserve more, because it's painful to face the truth at times. People that value themselves, won't tolerate the way this job operates, people that don't care about their self-worth, will stay. Final Note...its 2016 !!!! its all about CUSTOMER SERVICE. Managers must practice what they preach. Dont tell us to give excellent customer service to our accounts and forget that the employees are "CUSTOMERS" to management. Numbers dont make "Numbers", PEOPLE make numbers. And as such, managers should give their EMPLOYEES, the same CUSTOMER SERVICE that they want us to give to our ACCOUNTS!!! It funny to think that with technology nowadays, people can just go on a post (like this) and tell truth !! Employers can't hide their poor management tactics anymore. You would think that with a world that is more  transparent, employers would get a CLUE...smh. All we can do is pray for them ! Thanks For reading, i hope this helps in your perspective about this company (especially the "PINS" dprtmt )

When I first started work with AMC I was lead to believe that they were the biggest and best air medical provider in the world. However I quickly discovered that they were by no means the best at what they do. While the line staff strive to be the best and to provide the best patient care, the company is by far the most mismanaged company that I have ever worked for. It becomes blatently obvious to any employee that has been "around the block" that this company intentionally promotes or hires managers who are only willing to be "yes men". They in turn mismanage their subordinate staff, which in turn causes profound hatred and malcontent. Along with this, there is unending computer "education" which is about as useful as reading the back of a cereal box. It's nothing more than busy work meant to keep the line staff constantly busy for no real reason other than to try and take up their time. This in turn make upward mobility and professional growth nearly impossible for people who really know how to manage things. After all we couldn't have anyone in a management position that might not TOTALLY toe the company line 100% of the time. Outside the box  though and change are not just discouraged but even sometimes got people reprimanded. Things are so mismanaged from the top down that the only way the company was able to remain in business, was to sell to a capital management firm. This happened because when they were a publicly traded company, the share holders were trying to hold the senior management's feet to the fire for horrible earnings performance. All of these things are easily fixable, but it has to start with a total house cleaning from the top all the way to middle management. The company has got to reevaluate how it can save money, while still providing good service. There are many employees that have brought forth great ideas on how to make this happen, yet we are still operating the same way we have forever..... horribly. My advice please stay away from here until things get profoundly better.

Management does not care about you or your life.  They will work you to death if allowed. They do not promote the most capable, or knowledgeable. They promote the person who is willing to throw others under the bus, and are willing to suck up to management. Employees who suggest ways to make things better are disregarded and often times "blacklisted" as trouble makers. Shift leads are poorly trained and have little to no desire to assist their shift employees. All levels of management appear to be only in it for themselves. Training is abysmal. People who are struggling are considered to be weak links, and rather than assisting them in being better, they are given poor reviews to prevent raises or promotion... if there is even a raise available. This a multi-million dollar company that can't seem to offer a decent COLA raise to their employees. Continuing education is lacking. Any changes that are made with policy are accompanied by poor training and threats.  The only thing that makes the company tolerable are the flight crews you work with and your co-workers. This company takes and takes, but never even offers up a simple thank you in return. The dispatch center has been a mess for years, and they make no attempt to make the environment better or inviting to employees. You better just punch your card and do what they say, or else. If they do not like you, shift supervisors will listen to hours of good flight calls to find one tiny mistake they can write you up on so you have a smear on your record. They cannot keep employees, those who stay, are forced to do several days of overtime a month. This company does not seem to have a desire to improve the environment for employees, the quality of training, or the quality of their supervisors. The dispatch center is terrible place to work for, and much more trouble than it's worth... unless all you want to do in life is work and be treated poorly. 

Orientation was a joke. They move you around everywhere and you do not get a choice. I saw my wife less that three times in both February and March. I was shuffled around with different preceptors and told so much incorrect information. There is zero accountability placed on preceptors when you approach the useless educator about the inconsistency. They have you do simulation scenarios without giving any guidance as to how to pass them or how to improve. If you don’t pass they fire you. You have to fly to Colorado and Arizona for training. My base did not even have manikin heads for you to do your quarterly intubations on. They promote a culture of hostility. I was assaulted by one nurse but nothing was done because she has been around forever and has a relative that directed some medical show so she gets away with everything. I was constantly warned about her. She’s known to do that and has been doing it for years. Secondly, I was bullied by my preceptor. When I wanted to go to HR about it I was strongly advised not to. Why? Because my educator and that preceptor are friends. This company does not care about the employees. It’s a bunch of nasty, bitter people that enjoy judging others and looking down on colleagues. The pilots do not do safety checks consistently. I had one pilot fail to yell “clear” while I was doing my walk around and he fired up the 109 while I was inspecting the ship. The pilots I encountered were lazy and looked for excuses not to fly because they enjoyed being paid to literally do nothing. I had one pilot turn down a call mid flight because the ceiling was “coming down” while we were at 1200 feet. There was no reason we could not have proceeded because that is still safe! I hated working for this company. It is so corrupt and political it disgusts me. Avoid this company! You deserve better!!

Overall, my time with Air Methods has been rewarding and have worked with some really good people over the years.  Have been through several CEO, management and operational changes over the years, and like most companies...been a bit rough at times.  Eventually things have smoothed out to a new status quo, and would have to say the general trend has been better with regard to pay, benefits and overall company support.  As the company got larger, you definitely become a number...gone are the days of managers really knowing you.  Middle management of operations has really become terrible in some regions...completely dysfunctional and non-responsive unless there is an immediate problem and then it's 'hair on fire'.  While they promote a "just culture" I believe on the pilot side it is very true...on the maintenance and support side, not so much.  For them it seems to be guilt until proven innocent...I am not an apologist for union or CBA representation, but this is an area where the pilots do have some protections.  The job itself is not terribly difficult, biggest challenge is dealing with medical crew...some will think they are Air Crew and will really try to get in your business...while I am completely on board with crew resource management and team principles, there are times that crew will really get into the realm of PIC authority and will need to stand your ground.

I worked for this company as an Aircraft Technician for about 3 years.
The Technicians are treated like slaves and abused. This companies answer to nearly every problem they encounter or create themselves starts with three words, "have the mechanics...________"  (fill in the blank).

I saw this company waste literally millions on bad management decisions yet they will make your life miserable if you need something to do your job. As a Technician you will find yourself ever increasingly doing tasks that have nothing to do with your core and most critical duties. 

I can safely say I was one of their better employees and I corrected many issues with their aircraft and it's documentation while I worked there. The aircraft under my care were left in better condition than I found them. That's a fact. The first day on the job I determined the helicopter was not technically airworthy as I found it. The point is I did a good job for them as an employee, definitely above average with a significantly higher than average productivity percentage. 
When I voluntarily resigned from the company in good standing, they treated me like a jilted bride and sought to harm me anyway they could, savagely dismissing my work record and contributions as well as the circumstances (personal, family) that caused me to resign.

They made significant deductions from my final pay that were essentially unjust and illegal but I could not afford to hire a lawyer to fight this.

Management: I always felt supported by direct management (i.e., RAD, RAM, etc.). They provided space to do the job while checking in to see if we needed anything. Expectations were clear—do your job well, and things ran smoothly.

Typical Day at Work: This varies highly from one base to another. Some bases stay busy throughout the shift, while others have long periods with no flights. If you’re curious about the workload at a specific base, look up their aircraft tail number to get a sense of their activity.

Hardest Part of the Job: Night shifts were the biggest challenge for me. Transitioning to nights can be difficult if you’ve never done it before. I managed for almost four years, but ultimately, it wasn’t the right fit for me.

Most Enjoyable Part: The crew I worked with made the job great. Also, knowing that some of our flights made a real difference in patient outcomes was rewarding. The 7-on/7-off schedule is a huge plus, especially if you live near your base and don’t have to commute several hours.

Training: Training was fair and straightforward. I had four check-rides (B407) in Denver, all of which were conducted professionally. The quarterly training modules (Link) were simple and sometimes interesting.

Overall: The job has its challenges, but the work-life balance make it a solid option for pilots who are comfortable with the schedule. No company is perfect, so it’s helpful to review the pilot union contract and understand the expectations before joining.

As a former employee of Air Methods my experience working there was the worst of any other company I have worked for previously. Training was not only a joke but it did not pertain to the job I was hired to do with the exception of learning the systems used to do the job. When I completed my training and went to my department the training there for my position was also a joke but I managed to catch on but NEVER received a word of positive reinforcement eventhough I gave it my 110%. The team lead and the supervisor were constantly on me about my errors but never stepped up to teach me the proper way and when they finally chose to do so I still was not good enough for them and they fired me. There is a lot of favoritism at this company and if you are not one of the "favorite" employees then you are targeted to get fired. They do not care about their employees at all it's all about numbers and money. I broke my ankle one morning coming in to work and I still went to work with crutches and I was there every day and was always on time. I  DO NOT recommend this company to anyone seeking employment as they favor certain employees, there is also a lot of  brown nosing to get ahead, and very poor supervisor/management and very poor training with no positive reinforcement

There was a strong culturally driven workforce that stood behind do things the same way as it was done the past 20 years.  The brute force mentality of management and the desire to continue doing the same thing and expecting different results was their MO.  As an AS9100 company there are certain things you can expect to have to do, not just need to do.  This was not the case, having the AS9100 certificate was what got them Government contracts and that was all that mattered.  

Many of the employees were held down to this standard, unable to improve the culture, ethics, and relationships between departments.  There was no unity, teamwork, or symmetry between departments and in some areas within their own group.  It was a war every day and some people enjoyed it.

The unfortunate part of the company is the unwillingness to be great, the potential and possibilities were there, but the senior leadership knew that moving into that realm would essentially loosen their grip on the employees and the company and they wanted nothing to do with it.

The positive: there were a lot of great people working there and those that did everything in their ability to try to make it a great place to work.  The service the company provides to the community is an incredible part of what makes them great.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Pilot 277 salaries reported	$78,787 per year
Nurse 1 salary reported	$32.88 per hour
Aircraft maintenance technician 86 salaries reported	$33.12 per hour
Paramedic 1 salary reported	$28.38 per hour
Aircraft mechanic 1 salary reported	$34.00 per hour

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