The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: Busy Busy Busy.....

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Busy Busy Busy.....

as usual again. I haven't had time to blog much or reply back to comments. I have been flying for 6 different companies this winter since I left my previous job flying fires last summer and the KNBC contract during the winter. It is really starting to get super busy for me. I find it hard to say NO to work. I love what I do and I love that I get paid for it. I've been flying for Corona Police Dept., Lift Jobs, KMEX channel 34, KCBS channel 2, KCAL channel 9, Races, Frost, Photo Flights, and FOX this upcoming weekend possibly, Etc. I'm sure I am leaving something out. I flew in Engine 58 this morning on a lift job with our chief pilot Steve Bull at Heli-Flite. What a nice helicopter. Flies really smooth. It's been non-stop going from job to job, each day doing a completely different mission flying different helicopters in different areas. It's what keeps my job interesting and exciting for sure.

3 comments:

HPNFlyGirl said...: Hi Desiree...I had no idea you were flying out of AJO. I was just out there flight training (working on my instrument rating at EMT). I would have love to have met you. my CFII and I did meet a firefighter out at CMA and he let us look inside the chopper. AWESOME I must say. That was one of my favorite flights. =) It would have been great to have met you.

I also have been emailing every now and then with Firefighter Sam. How cool would that have been if I could have taken a picture of us and shared it with him. He is buddies with the firefighters near my house here in NC.; 8:32 PM
camerapilot said...: Saw some choppers flying around the coastline down in Laguna this morning as I sat on the steps at the end of Brooks St. with my nut roll from the Heidelberg Cafe.
Was that you Dez?
We had a major pooh spill down here.
All the beaches have warning signs posted about the big dump that happened when some valve failed the other day. Yummy. The sea was spectacular regardless that the water had a touch of beige color.....
Drove back into town because there might be work comin down the pike plus I wanted to do some pattern work and go-arounds at WHP and I saw your C2SC (Chopper 2 Seagull Chaser) sitting on her pad!
Hazy day for flying but the blue tarps that accent the front and back yards around the Pacoima area looking like giant tiles of Lapis Lazuli in the late afternoon sun made it all worth while.
Funny how the world looks so much better from 500agl and higher.
Have a great week Dez!!; 8:20 PM
camerapilot said...: Heard a story from my dad and thought about you flying in the Owens....
He spoke about being at the Bishop Airport one day, sitting by the radio in the gas shack listen to an account of a friend of his who was flying back to Bishop in the bumpy, thermal winds. He was trying to talk in between big ups and downs saying,"Ruff, ooopps,ruuufff up here, so ruuufff I thinnnk my (bleeps) gott twisstted, ooopps, oooh sshh----, yeeeahhh okay, uuuugghh, reeaall ruuufff.
I predict a very busy fire season for you Dez. You might get a pool earlier than you thought!
Be safe baby sister.; 5:17 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
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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.

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corporate office in
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Become a member and help
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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
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!