The Adventures of Chopper Chick!: Flying the EC120 today

Monday, November 10, 2008

Flying the EC120 today

Roberto Bouchard and I (Roberto is the EuroSafety Instructor)

The beautiful machine I got to fly today!!!!

Sexy Beast!

What a fun machine to fly!!!! What a sexy machine!!!!!

6 comments:

José Teixidó said...: Mean looking machine indeed... now callme old fashion, romantic, whatever, but my heart beats stronger at the sight of an S-58, or any old iron stuff.

That one must have been a pleasure to fly thou!.; 4:52 AM
camerapilot said...: Sweeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!
She is a beauty and what fun you must be having!!
Nice to see your pix after a long day on the set over at MGM (I'll never call it SO-Y).
Russell Crowe is a very cool, down to earth guy and Robyn Wright Penn is a sweetie.
Fun to work with actors who are aware that they put their pants on one leg at a time while some are convinced that they levitate while donning their trousers.; 10:52 PM
majroj said...: Trouble is, once you are inside driving, you can't see how cool it looks outside. How does it fly?

Oh, by the way, duty calls...

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/35000/35478/scalif_amo_2008287_lrg.jpg; 8:19 AM
Richard Gutmann said...: I sure hope they get/have Chopper Chick, that "Renaissance Woman of the Skies" out there putting out all of these fires. The smoke has been really bad all the way down here in Long Beach. Lots of ash falling too.; 8:24 PM
Callsign Echo said...: Wow, that is a beautiful aircraft. It's almost enough to seduce me away from fixed wing...almost.; 8:03 AM
Adryen said...: Hi, Desiree! That is a beautiful, sleek helicopter. Makes me wonder if it's too late to learn to fly for a 55 yr. old...(I can answer...yes.)

As I watched the choppers make water drops all night in Santa Barbara during the Tea Fire, I was wondering if you might be up there. It was incredible to see and hear, as I live a couple of blocks from SBJr.Hi. where they refueled. Hundreds of more homes would have burned if those helicopters hadn't been there.

You're in my thoughts often since the Zaca Fire and I first caught your blog. Take care!

Adryen D.
Santa Barbara, CA; 12:39 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
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!