The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: Flying in the smokey skies of Northern California....

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Flying in the smokey skies of Northern California....

Photo taken after my first day of dropping water from the 58T on fires.

"Little Mo" was my first 58T to drop water with.

Every chance I get I try to get online and read and post your comments and put my thoughts for the day on the internet. hahaha. I couldn't let a day go by without posted something if not at least a short blog for the day. If I could only tell you all the adventures that we have had the past two days. It has been quite interesting and exciting and that's all I can say. But I will tell you as I just lay down in my hotel bed tonight all I can smell is smoke in my hair. My hair smells of forest fire smoke from flying in it all day. Today was one of those great days where many firsts had taken place. Just about every day something new happens in my life that I can call a first, but today was an even more special first. After three years of flying fires in a type three (the small ones) helicopter which is the Astar, I finally made it into a medium, the S58T. I had my first experiences dropping water on a fire in the 58T today. It was extremely different to fly vs. the Astar. It was challenging and fun.

2 comments:

chris said...: Did you spot any of those pesky FireDivers?; 9:59 AM
camerapilot said...: Sounds like you have the good kind of smoke in your hair. The kind that smells of learning and skill and a burnt squirrel or two lol!.
Tried sending an earlier comment but the laptop went kaboom. Maybe a solar flare?
I was going to go back to Transformers 2 but the UPM offered me a deal I HAD TO REFUSE which means I ride my bike down the sleepy morning streets of Laguna to the Heidelberg Cafe, watch the Pelicans skim the sea below the cliffs and listen to the owl high up in the eucalyptus trees at night that surround the shack.
Thank you for your posts. Hollywood is fun and all but it's really nice to tap the keys and see someone out there having a thrill too.
Hard work provides chapters of adventures. Thanks for letting us read along.........
Cool Garmin by the way. Maybe I should box up my sextant and try a 196 type.; 8:04 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:
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!