Adam Buck: FW Captain
September 12, 2019
12 September, 2019
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Thunder Bay
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By: Par: Courtney Kraik
Courtney: When did you start working at Ornge?
Adam: I started working with Ornge as a First Officer September 2017.
Why did you chose Ornge?
I researched before applying for a job, and learned that Ornge has some of the best equipment, schedule, pay, and benefits among similar medevac air operators.
Tell me a little about how you came to be here at Ornge.
Talking with pilots who have either previously worked with Ornge, or who were still flying here at the time, they would say how pleasant everyone in the company is to work with. This extended to other crew members, paramedics, OCC staff, managers and anyone we’re in direct communication with day to day.
Tell me a little bit about what the role of captain is like.
When a call comes in, the Captain is responsible for the safe operation of the aircraft. This includes ensuring the aircraft is acceptable to fly, checking if the weather is safe for the completion of the trip, no delays in patient transport from airport to airport, and ensuring everything is completed in respect to our legal duty day. Flying the airplane is only half of a Captain’s job.
How does your previous work experience influence your time here?
In my previous job I was a flight instructor at Confederation College. As an instructor, one aspect is to be a mentor for students who are training to become a pilot. Also, every First Officer is essentially a Captain in training. Just like my last job, as a Captain, you are mentoring First Officers on duties and roles of a Captain.
What do you love most about your job?
What I love most about the job is the dynamic environment I work in every day. As a crew we never know where exactly we’re going to be going or where we will end up during the course of the shift.
What do you find most challenging about your job?
The most challenging part of this would have to be a lack of resources in many of the communities that we service, such as weather observation systems, resources for de-icing, and approaches to guide airplanes into airport successfully. This however does lead to a dynamic environment, and it is what I love most about the job, but it also makes it challenging.
Who inspires you here in the workplace?
As a young and fairly new Captain, I am surrounded by other Captains with many years of experience. Flying with them, one has to be like a sponge to absorb the wealth of knowledge and experience they possess.
What do you do on your off time to create work/life balance?
On my days off in the summer I enjoy golfing. Thunder Bay has many great courses and memberships to offer in the short summer. In the winter, there are outdoor hockey rinks on almost every street corner. So many of the pilots and other co-workers get together and play pick-up hockey.
Where do you see your career in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years I could see myself either staying at Ornge or progressing to another airline. There are so many great avenues in aviation. At my age I would like to expand and diversify my flying experiences.
If you weren't a pilot, what would you be?
If I didn’t choose aviation as a career, I would have pursued a career as either a kinesiologist or a psychologist. I have had an interest in the medical field for a long time, which is another reason I chose Ornge as a pilot, so I can have the best of both worlds.
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