The Adventures of Chopper Chick!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Company photo of Heli-Flite/Aris Helicopters

Our newly put together and newly painted S58T

What a fun week it has been. Busy, but fun. Had a great time flying for KMEX on Wednesday. All of us hovered over an accident which seems tragic, but as we hovered there we slowly flew in and around each other repositioning for a better shot of the accident, all the while some of us were taking pictures of each other flying using our still cameras and sometimes even using each other with the video ball for a beauty shot for the newscast. The mornings are always alot of fun flying up there with everyone. After my shift I was off to Heli-Flite for a company meeting and got to see our newly painted and all put together S58T. Can't wait to fly it soon!

I'm off to somewhere south of Vegas for a race this weekend with HP Helicopters. Not sure what the name of the race is. It's in Jean, Nevada. I don't ask too many questions. Actually someone had mentioned the name but I already forgot. I'll blog about it next week when I'm back. Hopefully get some cool photos.

Should be alot of fun flying across the desert chasing cars! Ahhhh, what fun!

9 comments:

flightblog said...: Wouldn't you rather sit in a cubical all day? (that's a joke)

I've seen a similar helicopter here in Raleigh (it comes up from Atlanta ) and I'm always amazed at how big it really is.

Very cool!; 6:47 AM
nick said...: why Desiree, I believe that you are going to cover the Mint 400 off road race....; 2:00 PM
camerapilot said...: Good sandals, like the hat.; 3:57 PM
Steven Pam said...: Wow, what in amazing and beautiful machine. It looks like a toy - a very LARGE toy!; 5:35 PM
Trevor said...: Hey Desiree, Looks like you finally made it on to YouTube. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM4sVdYZCa0

Very cool!!; 10:27 PM
Bill Gabbert said...: Just curious.... what does "Engine 58" mean on the nose? I realize it is an S-58T helicopter, but Engine 58 sounds like a fire engine.; 1:37 PM
camerapilot said...: That Anti Submarine Helo looks like a beauty with the new paint.
What does she feel like when you take her up?; 6:57 PM
Anonymous said...: Oh my god! That is 1168U?! I used to work for Aris, but moved from San Jose to Nebraska in 2003. When I left it was still a rotted, picked over mess. I am very impressed. Josef and the team did an amazing job!

Mike Mercier; 7:50 PM
Desiree said...: flightblog, ha ha ha. yep, i agree. i love my office! the box office or boxpit i call it. ha ha ha. yeah, it is a big ship for what it does. techically it is considered a medium on fires, not a heavy like the S61's and cranes. it's catagorized with the hueys.

nick, thanks! lol. i didn't know till i got there.

camerapilot, ha ha. i thought about how that sucked i wore flip flops that day. didn't know we were doing company photo day.

steven pam, yep, you got it. it does look like a toy. ha ha ha

trevor, thanks for the link!

bill gabbert, you got it. since it looks like a big red fire engine and it's a 58T, they decided to call it engine 58. they name all their 58's

camerapilot, she feels amazing to fly. very very smooth. it sat for over 10 years i heard, so quite an amazing piece of work for our mechanics.

mike mercier, wow, very cool you used to fly that! i told the chief pilot you gave props to yosef. yes, they did an amazing job and quickly too. they only started on it this jan. or so i think.; 6:53 PM

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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:
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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
Ed Story
Desiree Horton
Gary Hollbrook

Pat Carey

Leonard Maughan

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!