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SALT LAKE CITY — Certified helicopter pilot Matt Stein has flown around the world, from Hawaii to Germany. Originally an aviation officer for the military, Stein decided to “give civilian life a try” and began working as an emergency medical services pilot in 1992.
Stein ended 2017 with an accomplishment few pilots in the industry reach: He logged his 3,000th rescue flight.
Tony Henderson, chief executive officer of Classic Aviation, said only about 10 percent of EMS pilots complete more than 3,000 patient rescue missions.
“It is quite an accomplishment,” Henderson said.
Stein works with Classic Air Medical, a child company of Classic Aviation that provides emergency medical transport, he told KSL. He started as a part-time line pilot and quickly moved up the company ladder, becoming program director and eventually chief operating officer, the title he currently holds.
Classic Air Medical has 12 bases throughout Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, New Mexico and Wyoming, Henderson said. Stein works at a base near Lake Powell.
Due to the nature of the region, Stein said people commonly need to be rescued from places that are difficult to reach, such as deep crevices or isolated canyons.
He said he remembers a particularly difficult mission where a woman broke her leg while hiking in Ticaboo Canyon. While waiting for help, she lost consciousness next to a fire and was severely burned. The incident happened in the winter during a severe snowstorm, Stein said, but he was able to eventually reach the woman and fly her to Salt Lake City for treatment. She survived.
“There was no way anyone else was going to reach her,” he said.
While Stein has always had a love for flying, he said his favorite part of the job is getting the chance to help people get through small tragedies. He said he is grateful for and humbled by the opportunity to “be a part of the team that is going to be the best part of someone’s worst day.”
“I can’t think of a better job,” Stein said.
It is a demanding job, though. Stein said assisting people with critical injuries can be traumatic and “bad for your psyche.” He said having Critical Incident Stress Debriefings — a specific, seven-phase, small group, supportive crisis intervention process — has helped him.
Henderson, who has worked with Stein for 25 years, said he is proud to work with the accomplished pilot.
“The fact that he has reached this 3,000-flight level is a testament to his dedication,” Henderson said in an emailed statement.
Stein, originally from Los Angeles, said he celebrated his accomplishment by going to Disneyland. Now that the celebration is over, it is back to work for the busy emergency medical pilot.
