Article Summary –
Excessive heat waves in California are affecting emergency medical flights, forcing some cancellations due to safety concerns. High temperatures can make chopper blades less effective, overheat onboard systems, and require changes to weight, equipment, and route planning. Stanford Life Flight, which does around 480 medical transports annually, had to decline a mission for the first time due to heat; it’s expected that these complications will increase with climate change.
Excessive Heat Impacting Rescue Helicopter Missions in California
Lead helicopter pilot Douglas Evans received an urgent call on a Sunday afternoon. A driver in a traffic accident had suffered a brain injury and required immediate transportation. However, the extreme 116.6-degree temperature in Redding, California, where he needed to land, was a cause for concern. This was the first time in his 27-year career that Evans had to cancel a mission due to excessive heat.
Evans and other emergency responders are accustomed to negotiating California’s challenging weather conditions such as wind, fog, and fire smoke. However, the recent heatwave across the West is posing new challenges to rescue operations. High temperatures, exacerbated by climate change, are reshaping how these professionals carry out their missions.
For instance, REACH Air Medical Services, which operates 30 helicopter bases across California, had to decline at least two rescue calls over the same weekend due to the intense heat. The company occasionally reroutes flights to land at airports, where there are fewer obstacles, instead of the scene of the accident. But increasingly, the heat is hampering efforts to transport patients and conduct rescues, especially in national parks that often rely on helicopters in vast wilderness areas.
National parks like Joshua Tree and Death Valley have started warning visitors that helicopters may not be able to reach them in the extreme heat. Cases of heat exposure are increasing, and when temperatures rise above 122 degrees — a common occurrence this year in parts of California — medical helicopters often cannot fly.
The effects of the heat are not only physical but also mechanical. High temperatures thin the air, making it difficult for helicopter blades to generate lift. The onboard systems can also overheat and malfunction, forcing pilots to make adjustments or even decline missions altogether.
Evans, who works for Stanford Life Flight, Stanford University Hospital’s medical helicopter response program, has realized the need for greater awareness of the risks posed by rising temperatures. “I see that things are warming up and I expect it just to get worse,” he said. The impact of the heat is felt not only during rescue missions but also in the transport of patients to more advanced medical facilities across the state, a service that an air ambulance such as Stanford’s Airbus EC-145 provides.
The heat wave poses a challenge not just for the pilots but also for the flight nurses, who have to wear thick, fire-resistant suits regardless of the temperature. The heat also affects the operation of the helicopters themselves. “Above 104, we can only operate on the ground for 15 minutes,” Evans noted.
Despite these challenges, Evans finds reward in his job. He particularly enjoys missions that involve navigating through obstacles like landing on bridges or beaches. However, he admits that the escalating heat is an obstacle he didn’t anticipate and one that could make his job more challenging if he has to reject more flights. “It is the most difficult part of the job,” he said, “saying no.”
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