The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: Chopper Hotties!!!!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Chopper Hotties!!!!

What are the odds of 5 female helicopter pilots being in one place at one time???? And good looking ones as well???? Well, it happened, at my house Friday night!!!! I had the chance to go home for a day to take care of some personal business, but before heading back up to Independence I had a little party at my place! Was really nice to see friends and mingle with pilots I used to fly with in L.A.

Photo from left to Right.....
Tracy Glatzhoffer(Group 3 Aviation, Van Nuys)
Virginia Williams(Sundance Helicopters, Las Vegas, former Blackhawk pilot with Stacy Sheard)
Myself!!!!!!
Kris Kelly(Helinet Aviation, Van Nuys)
Stacy Sheard(Elite Aviation, Van Nuys, former Blackhawk pilot with Virginia Williams)

Today is Sunday and I'm back in Independence for now. There's talk of us heading up to northern Cali again for more fires up there maybe on Tuesday after the holiday weekend. The forest wants to keep us around for the busy holiday weekend in case anything happens here including rescues.

p.s. It took almost an hour to upload this one photo with dial up out here!!!

13 comments:

trevor said...: And with all these hotties in one place, just why wasn't I invited????? LOL. Desiree with all the flying, the commuting back and forth from Independence, up to Yreka, back home to have a party, etc. etc., I just have one question. At what point during the year do you actually sleep??????? :-)

Trevor
da40flyer@yahoo.com; 6:59 PM
Turbomallard said...: The last time I felt as dumbfounded as I did looking at that picture was when somebody introduced me to Chuck Yeager on about two seconds notice... When he stuck out his hand I said something like "Keshfungamenaheehee..." which is about all I'd manage if I met anyone in that picture.

Turbomallard; 6:12 AM
Desiree said...: Trevor, LOL. I never sleep! :) It's a rough life!

Turbomallard, Wow, Chuck Yeager! Crazy! I wouldn't know what to day either! Thanks! :); 11:05 AM
Laguna said...: This post has been removed by a blog administrator.; 12:36 PM
Laguna said...: MOTHER OF PEARL!! What a line up!!!!!
Well I guess that explains why my Koi pond here in the Valley had a sudden Tidal surge friday night and the ground shook!!
That's the most beautiful Heliratpack I've ever seen.
Be good Baby Sister.; 12:39 PM
tunakahuna said...: One word "WOW"; 11:34 PM
Paul said...: Desiree,

The pictures are great!! And, yes, the five of you are all good looking, but, you clearly are the best looking of all (no disrespect to you or the others intended).

We all understand how busy you have been and I really appreciate you taking the time to send us so many great pictures and the updates on your fire-fighting.

Stay safe.; 9:52 AM
yoyo said...: SORRY I MISSED IT LIVE BUT IT LOOKS GOOD. Hey I didn't Know Virginia is in Vegas. Cool, I met her once in LGB and I got a bunch of pictures with her still.
I'll send it to you and Stacy on your emails.
STAY COOL ON THE FIRES
Yoyo; 10:52 AM
Janna said...: Hey Desiree...I was trying to figure out why Tracy looked familiar, and then I realized: high school! So I checked out my yearbook and sure enough, she was right next to me in the track and cross country team pictures! The world just gets smaller! I don't know if she'd remember me, but tell her I said hi! Take care!; 11:06 PM
"V" said...: Hey YOYO, How have you been? I make it to Van Nuys once in a while, hopefully I will get a chance to see you. I see you are in a CH54, I would LOVE to check it out, it's one of my favorite helicopters EVER!! See ya soon; 7:17 AM
Attackgirl said...: Stacy and VA!!!!! Hey girls I see life is wonderful on the west coast. VA have you retired yet? Email me girls. Attackgirl@aol.com
Margo; 12:36 PM
Attackgirl said...: Yahoo !!! VA and Stac how wonderful to see you guys together. Looks like the west coast is the place to be. I have retired now havent flown in two years...yes I miss it. I am now living in Virginia and working in DC. Email me at Attackgirl@aol.com
Margo; 12:38 PM
DodgerJon said...: Sooo... I won't comment any further on how hot this asssortment of chopper chicks is... but I will say that I have met General Yeager, too, and I had no problem formulating coherent sentences. That would NOT be the same case had I been invited to this gathering.

Desiree, I have a few questions/ comments about this pic; I hope you'll indulge me (admittedly, a weird dude):

Amstel beer?!?

What's up with the small stain on your tee? I guess you were taking a swig from the Amstel bottle (frame left) when one of your girlfriends said something funny, causing you to do a 'spit take.' Tell me I'm right...

I'm liking the cool color palette you've chosen for the walls.

Straight Coke, eh? But you're keep'in it real with the wheat crackers.

Any significance to the ring around the neck?

I'm liking the wall mirror.

A government white paper should be commissioned on how many chopper chicks wear their cellphones on their waists versus those who don't

Cool fridge. Very hi-tech

Gimme a ring, and I'll be happy to come over and straighten your wall pics; 12:43 PM

Post a Comment

PHPA / Professional Helicopter Pilots Association

Promoting safety and
understanding among
helicopter pilots, the PHPA
continues its mission
contributing to the critical
operations maintaining safe
helicopter missions and
acting as a liaison with the
community.

Coordinating efforts towards improving communications, methods of operation within the airspace system, or any other area that will contribute to the safety and education of all pilots;
Provide a forum for identifying and seeking resolution to local problems of interest to the membership;
Promote community relations between the public and the helicopter industry.

The PHPA is a national
organization with the
corporate office in
Los Angeles, California.

Become a member and help
support your helicopter
community.

Go to:
http://www.phpa.org/

Board of Directors
Executive Officers & Board of Directors
Robert Butler - President
Alan Frawert - Vice President
Tom White - Secretary
James Paules - Treasurer
Board of Directors
Morris Cohen
Guillaume Maillet
Chuck Street
Ed Story
Desiree Horton
Gary Hollbrook
Pat Carey

Board of Advisors
Ricarda Bennett Esq - Legal Advisor
Alex Calder - Web Administrator

How I got started..........

For those of you who are looking at a life of flying helicopters or just curious how I started and got where I am today, read on.......................

I have been flying helicopters for over 18 years and mostly here in Los Angeles until recently in 2005 when I started fighting fire as a contract pilot all over the U.S. during the summer and in the off season on occasion. Currently I fly for about six different companies as a free lance contract pilot. My main company that I work for is Heli-Flite/Aris Helicopters in Riverside, CA, where I do Aerial Construction flying, fly for Corona Police Department, and fly fires during fire season. In the off months outside of fire season I fly some news and photo and movie production flights for various other companies which some of them I have been working with for over ten years. Since I have received many emails in regards to how does one become a helicopter pilot.....I am giving a little insight to those of you who ask how I got started and how much it costs to become a pilot, well it's a long story and everyone has a different story as to how they got their start. Some people had it easy, some people had it tough, some joined the military, others did the civilian route. There are so many different ways to do it and no one has the same story. As far as cost, well it was alot less 18 years ago, so you will have to check with a flight school on that one. I started flying when I was 19 years old and at the time I couldn't get a loan, so I worked two jobs 7 days a week and after two years, finally got my private. If you can get loan, it will not take you that long as I could only afford a couple of lessons a month. I never got my CFI as I found other ways to build time. Even 18 years ago being a CFI did not pay the bills, so I worked other jobs and flew part time over the years to build my time. I washed helicopters in exchange for flight time. I even paid for left seat time for quite some time to build hours. I jumped on any chance I could get for free flight time riding along with other pilots in an empty seat. I made lots of sacrafices and had no time to myself. It was all about flying, kinda how it still is today. hahaha. Anyway, I started a dba and made brochures and brought myself my own flight business doing tours and photo flights out of a Hughes 269 and an R22. Eventually I had some money to put myself through Bell Factory School which enabled me to fly a Jetranger early in my career with very little time. Back then insurance companies did not require massive amounts of flight time. With just 300 hours and factory school, I now had a jetranger to run my tours in. It eventually led to flying for other companies. Sending myself to Bell school opened up opportunities and possibilities for me. It was also my reputation that opened doors. Attitude is everything. You will not suceed in this business with a poor attitude. Keep that in mind. Trust me, I'm not perfect. We all don't have perfect attitudes, but you know what I mean. My job offers took off from there. I was doing tours for various small tour companies and flight schools and then started flying traffic watch, then soon I was flying news in a 206 which later led to an astar. When I got into fire, I sent myself to long line and mountain flying school. Sometimes if you want something, you will have to pay for it to get ahead and open doors for yourself. I found a company that hired me with no fire experience. With my training I had paid for and experience from flying over the years I was on my way to do what I had always dreamed of doing, fighting fire from a helicopter. I was patient as it took time to get where I am today. You have to be patient sometimes. I still get impatient on occasion and want it all now, but it just doesn't work that way. So my advice to up and coming pilots who ask how to do it? Find a good school, find some money, stick with it, don't ever stop, don't make excuses, don't let others discourage you as that will happen your entire career, and you will suceed and get what you want eventually. Good luck!

By the way, some pilots never stop paying their dues. Sometimes if you want certain things to happen in your career you will find yourself making the same sacrafices later on, but the sacrafices seem even greater because with time, comes more responsibility and more to lose when sacrafices are made. But sometimes the gain is worth it!