Ambulance flight story

One of the most exciting and rewarding experiences ever… because we not only offer luxury, leisure, entertainment… but also hope.

Those hopes of people who struggle with life, who are given a chance and who need a hand to be able to grasp it. A little while ago I had the honor of managing an ambulance flight. If you asked me what it felt like, I’d tell you I don’t know for sure. Adrenaline, fear, anxiety but also a lot of satisfaction, many of those emotions that can only be understood by experiencing them. Because when you are dealing, not with an entrepreneur who flies to close a big deal, a celebrity who has to show up at an exclusive event, a person planning a dream vacation, but with a man, a husband, a father who lives constantly with the thought of saving his wife, a cancer patient, then you forget all the glitz, the luxury and all those beautiful things that seem so futile at that moment … the possibility of being treated elsewhere, in France, in the great Paris which suddenly is no longer one of the most romantic destinations ever, but only one of the most important … the last chance to be treated. You work day and night to make sure everything goes well, including hospital files, authorizations, ambulances to organize… Have you really thought about everything? Have you calculated that possibility? What if something goes wrong? But when you have a heart full of hope it seems to you that everything can only be for the best. Endless documents, time is running out, finally after a few but intense days of work you are there, one step away from take-off, and instead something is wrong … A damned technical failure, which now jeopardizes everything.

A hospital appointment that’s been overdue for so long that it can’t be postponed. What are you doing then? Do you say “I’m sorry but the flight can no longer be done”? “I can’t help you”? No. You stop, breathe, support yourself, because ours is a team, and a team is what it does. Where there is a problem, we support ourselves and all together we get out of it. Take plan B, we find another vehicle, but there is nothing close so let’s immediately move one further away, ok the vehicle is there but it is not big enough for everyone, then ok we organize an Alitalia flight for the companions, but the airport is far from the hospital, ok we organize a private car that awaits them and accompanies them, but the client does not speak French and one of the accompanying persons is their interpreter, ok we organize another interpreter on site, but it is too late there is no ‘is one in the area, ok we organize a private car for the interpreter… problem and solution, another problem, other solution, because that’s how it’s done. You arrive the night before exhausted but happy that everything is organized but then, Oh no! the weather tomorrow is not promising, but ok we anticipate the ambulance and anticipate the flight, we have to do it. At 04:00 it is finally time for the pick-up, a message arrives “Good morning dearest” (because this person has opened his heart to you and you have opened yours) and continues “sorry for the inconvenience at this time” but you answer “no disturbance, I’m here to follow everything step by step with you, until the end, I won’t leave you” … “we are ready, everything ok?” “But of course the ambulance is right out there, on time as expected, the plane too and everything else is well coordinated, you almost did it!”. Finally we leave, wind against, the flight takes over 2h30, the adrenaline rushes throughout the journey, hoping that no unforeseen events arrive up there … finally we land, interpreter ready, ambulance also, customers arrive at the hospital at the appointed time, shortly afterwards the other companions join them; We made it!!! And when you receive the message that tells you “… you are a person with a big heart… you were very human with me, you put me at ease, it is as if I have always known you … thank you from the heart…” then something fills you the heart… does not erase all the difficulties you have encountered but makes you treasure them, and makes you grateful for having had the opportunity to make it happen.