The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: Launch of Pilot Mag

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Launch of Pilot Mag

Pilot Magazine is a new magazine that was recently launched. I was contacted several months back and asked to do an interview. I was also asked if I knew of other women in aviation, of course I do! Stacy is in here as well.

Check it out....

http://www.pilotmag.com/womeninaviation

5 comments:

Richard Gutmann said...: Desiree,

The link to Pilot Magazine only lets us read the first part of the article about women in aviation, not the part about you. :(; 1:20 PM
Richard Gutmann said...: Desiree flying Crown 1; 1:25 PM
SCREENSCRIBE70 said...: hey Desiree! Chris here! I worked on that promo post card art for you a few years back! (I still talk about that day you took me up...incredible!) Seems like you've been crazy busy flying all over the place. Got a new email address screenscribe70@gmail.com. Love to hear from you.; 11:02 PM
camerapilot said...: Met someone that might have fed you when you were on that Complex fire up in Mendocino. His name is Frank Woodward. He is one of those types of guys that even though you have never met him you instantly like him. He is in his 60's, he retired when he was 40 and he got so bored that he applied for a catering job ( never mind he had never done catering before) on a Francis Ford Coppola movie and got the job.
It must have been a right idea because the movie was called The Outsiders and that was some time ago.
He's outfit is called 4 Stars and he caters to the motion picture industry and firefighters (a crew is a crew) he got a federal contract too and he now along with his lovely wife feed the mouths of many on the fire line and on the set. Turns out his wife studied at Le Cordon Bleu and became a pastries chef.
Oh my god, one morning she made almond croissants that were fresh from the oven and after one bite I told Frank that I was going to propose to his wife. He told me I was already too late, several others had beat me to it.
I had to cycle my bike up Mulholland Hwy. to the Rock Store early this morning to fend off all those good eats from this last week.
Hope you saw the pyramid last night.
Next stop is Cairo when we film the real thing.
Break-a-Leg!; 6:43 PM
Dave Zader said...: New Video for you keep your eye out for Four Lima Alpha... Lots of 58T footage. Have fun out there... See ya on the big one

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1fSaskh9jy0; 9:38 AM

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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!