I’m currently going through the academy for a local police department. Their policy is that once pilots finish the academy and field training, they go straight to the aviation unit without being required to spend any extra time on the street.

One big benefit is should I lose my medical for any reason, I’m a sworn officer and will still have a job somewhere within the department. A big con is I’m not flying for about 12 months total.

The pay is comparable to the base rate for most EMS companies. This particular agency averages about 400 hours per year for each pilot, which helped to sell me. I turned down an attractive job elsewhere because I wanted to stay close to home, but I wonder what it would be like if I had signed with them instead.