The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: I was featured in Wildland Firefighter Magazine this month.....

Friday, August 31, 2007

I was featured in Wildland Firefighter Magazine this month.....

Did the interview with Paul Ross Jr. for this last year, so the picture is old. As most of you know I have black hair now since May last year. Blonde was too high maintenance. lol. Pretty cool. Some of my colleges and friends out there in the fire biz have seen it and commented on it. Paul did a great job of making me sound like a superhero! He worded everything perfectly.

5 comments:

Richard Gutmann said...: Desiree,

Glad you were able to save that deer. I know it has to make you feel really good. I noticed on the Forest Service website, that "animal herding" is actually one of the things that USFS helicopter pilots can be qualified to do--just like "long-line" or "PSD." I think you have self-certified yourself in animal herding!!

I tried to find your issue of "Wildland Firefighter" online, but their website is months behind. Also tried the L.A. County library, but no luck. Do you know anywhere I can buy a copy?

Or maybe we could get you to photograph the whole page. The part you did put online was really easy to read.

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Richard

p.s. You sure came home just in time for the really hot weather. It is absolutely miserable in Long Beach.; 4:57 PM
Richard Gutmann said...: "The Forest Service asks its crews to fight fires and take risks, but also to focus on safety first. That's a contradictory message."

From an article on the danger of fighting wildfires. 'Right Stuff" Mentality Dangerous'

Desiree, I tried to find your "chick pilot" cartoon character without success. Where did you see her? Was she in a comic strip, comic book, or on television? Or somewhere else?; 9:11 AM
Richard Gutmann said...: Desiree,

I know you have things to do other than read lots of posts from me, but I couldn't pass this up. Here is what a guy wrote on the website "Pilots of America." It is post #9, almost to the bottom of the page. Helicopter Hotties

Desiree, maybe you can recommend a glossary for this guy (and me too.) You wildfire fighters really have a lot of your own jargon. Here is a glossary I found that I think is pretty good. Glossary; 11:17 AM
Anonymous said...: Hummm single BE SAFE up there Des.; 9:02 AM
brushfire21 said...: I read the article when the mag came into the station, it was nicely written by Paul and his articles are the first thing I turn too! Working on my CPL at Western and maybe see/hear you on the line, be safe and watch the wires.; 11:24 PM

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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!