19 year old firefighter

[rotorfan]

This week's "AOPA Live" has a nice little story about a Montana pilot working the western U.S. fires. I'd be real proud to be her father, except that she's already more accomplished than me.:rolleyes: I appreciate that she's well-spoken, unlike most of her American peers that use "like" several times per sentence.

I couldn't imbed the video, so the link will take you to the main page. The entire video is a half-hour, but the heli part is 0:45 through 4:10.

click here (https://aopalive.aopa.org/detail/videos/aopa-live-this-week/video/6192087226001/aopa-live-this-week---september-17-2020?autoStart=true)

[Clay_T]

Here's the Youtube version of it:

kn10VgXxvdI

[rotorfan]

Thanks, Clay, and well done. You're more clever than I am.

[Pugilistic Animus]

I was just reading about her, and trying to post it on PPRuNe. She's Command rated in Blackhawks and SIC in another type. Truly amazing, truly inspirational!:D

[Ant T]

She's Command rated in Blackhawks and SIC in another type. Truly amazing, truly inspirational!:D

...and according to the video clip, also type rated single pilot on the Cessna CJ business jet.

[Curry Lamb]

Just watched the clip, and I'm like ... whaaaaat :}

[rb14]

Thanks, Clay, and well done. You're more cleverer than I am.

Fixed that for you.

[Torquetalk]

Fixed that for you.

Perhaps you are kidding, but what was written was fine. If you are going to use the comparative, you don’t need “more” - your correction needs correcting...

Hope the mods delete your post and mine as they are an unnecessary distraction.

[rb14]

Perhaps you are kidding, but what was written was fine. If you are going to use the comparative, you don’t need “more” - your correction needs correcting...

Hope the mods delete your post and mine as they are an unnecessary distraction.
It was supposed to be amusing. In future, I'll try to remember not to unnecessarily distract.

[hueyracer]

If it shows one thing-than it is that all the "experience requirements" in the past had been a sack full of bs......

Forget about experience on type, forget about having thousands of hours.....forget about experience in long lining or fire fighting.......

All you need is the right "sugar daddy" to put you in the command seat......

Especially in those times today, this is the wrong signal....couldn´t be worse....

[Bell_ringer]

All you need is the right "sugar daddy" to put you in the command seat......

Especially in those times today, this is the wrong signal....couldn´t be worse....

Sometimes pilots over estimate the talents required to do the job.
It is often insurance that is the limiting factor in what seat you can occupy, so if you're lucky enough to get a smoother path into a role, then so what.
Good luck to her, she can either do the job or not.
Enduring crappy jobs for 1000's of hours doesn't necessarily make anyone a better pilot.

[estepo]

If it shows one thing-than it is that all the "experience requirements" in the past had been a sack full of bs......

Forget about experience on type, forget about having thousands of hours.....forget about experience in long lining or fire fighting.......

All you need is the right "sugar daddy" to put you in the command seat......

Especially in those times today, this is the wrong signal....couldn´t be worse....
Envy.......... it's a terrible thing. And you appear to have it in spades. What exactly would you have her do, given that she's achieved the same level of qualifications as you..... would it make you feel better to see her as a secretary? I assume you'll maintain a similar level of bitterness even if she completes her accountancy qualifications.

[hueyracer]

Envy.......... it's a terrible thing. And you appear to have it in spades. What exactly would you have her do, given that she's achieved the same level of qualifications as you..... would it make you feel better to see her as a secretary? I assume you'll maintain a similar level of bitterness even if she completes her accountancy qualifications.


Oh, it did not take long for you to come out from under your rock...........nothing to do with envy....

But as i am approaching my 10.000th flight hour, i have carried enough pilots to their final destination in a wooden box-some of them got killed due to lack of experience, some of them due to bad luck.

What saved most of the others when they hit bad luck was their experience-the experience you gain from flying for a long time, learning from others.

You´re asking what i "want her to do"?

I would want her to do the same thing all the other pilots have done in the past.....gain experience before throwing her into a big machine; gain experience before throwing her into a dangerous environment.

Its not only her life put at risk.
Its the life of the people flying with her (provided they are carrying fire fighters on board), its the lives of people on the ground; its the lives of people depending on her doing "the job"....

But hey-according to you, i am only envious......

[[email protected]]

I rather got the impression that she had ticked the boxes for the aircraft but hadn't done any firefighting as PIC at all - and now she's gone to college so isn't actually flying in the fires anyway.

Nice to get an easy ride into flying but as we all know, flying a helicopter is one thing - operating it is another.

[SWBKCB]

The use of the term "sugar daddy" and it's connotations is unfortunate. Plenty of people have benefited from working in the family business.

Also, being part of the family business, doubt whether she's being asked to do things she isn't capable of doing and putting herself (and others) in danger.

[JustinHeywood]

Jeez, what a tough crowd.
.
From what we know, she seems like a fantastic young person, level-headed, making the most of her opportunities, and already achieved a lot at a young age.
Seems some would be happier if she just spent her youth sweeping out the hanger while updating her Insta profile.

[cattletruck]

What I think is really important is the quality of mentoring she is receiving. I once sat in the jump seat of a Qantas 747 where in the LHS was one of the company's most experienced captains, and in the RHS was a long haired pimply 21 y/o. I really do hope this is a similar situation rather than some operator trying to show how special their sprog is.

There are a number of situations where having all the technical knowledge of your machine is trumped by experience.
Saying "no".
Good airmanship.
Putting pushy clients back in their spot.
Knowing the hazards of the areas you fly in.
The list goes on.

[havoc]

I know the Blains but never met her, their family is well respected and would give the shirt off their back if needed. She seems grounded in her interview and gives credit and seems to downplay her accomplishments.

Billings Flying Service does International work so maybe she will travel with the group and meet some of you.

https://billingsflyingservice.com/#:~:text=is%20owned%20by%20Billings%20Montana-native%20brothers%20Al%20and,on%20their%20thorough%20knowled ge%20and%20passion%20for%20aviation.

If you see their registration numbers ending with AJ, its for their son killed several years ago in Colorado in a helicopter accident


https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/19-year-old-billings-pilot-fights-fire-goes-viral/article_25104ce5-4bae-5ff6-841f-ee6f871f45f8.html#tracking-source=home-trending

19-year-old Billings pilot fights fire, goes viral[/h1]Ashli Blain never intended to become internet famous. But a few viral Facebook posts have landed her on national news, the possibility of appearing on a major talk show and a free box of Snickers.

The 19-year-old helicopter pilot from Billings gained her accolades while fighting a California wildfire this summer with her dad, Gary Blain, who owns Billings Flying Service. A photo of her snapped at the scene went viral (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10221614018273605&set=a.1677938902153&type=3&theater) online.

Blain plays down her role. At least in California she flew only one day this summer on the SCU Lightning Complex fires providing relief for BFS pilots, she said.

But like many things circulating on social media there has been some misinformation. One social media post claimed she was a National Guard pilot another said she was commanding a Chinook (she’s only rated to co-pilot). The attention has made her uncomfortable, she said.

“Those pilots deserve the credit,” Blain said. “Not some 19 year old.”

Other rumors have placed her fighting fires in Washington, Colorado and New Mexico.

“Guys, I’ve been in school the last two weeks,” Blain said Friday in a Billings Flying Service hangar.

And a mention on national news that she usually carries Snickers in her flight bag earned a box from the company itself.

Despite some false posts on social media, Blain, who has a commercial pilot’s license, has done a lot of work over the past two summers including flying on search and rescue missions for the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s office, working on wildfires and some commercial work like hauling for construction sites. She’s also a flight instructor “on the side.”

She earned her commercial piloting license last year at 18. She can command-pilot a Blackhawk and co-pilot Chinooks (one of the heaviest lifting helicopters).

Blain prefers flying a helicopter to an airplane; it’s more hands-on and complicated, she said. Her aircraft of choice is a Blackhawk, even over a Chinook.

“It’s like driving a race car versus a school bus,” Blain explained.

Being that young of a pilot is a rarity — although her family’s long history of flying did accelerate her trajectory. Blain is just one of about 325 commercial pilots aged 16 to 19, according to the U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics.

Being a young pilot hasn't posed much of a problem in the mainly male-dominated field, Blain said.

"Some is having to prove I'm capable," she said. But Blain has all the credentials of a more than capable pilot.

Blain began flying on a glider at 13. By 16 she had her pilot’s license and a year later her private helicopter ratings. Blain switched to homeschooling in grade school and through high school to focus on piloting.

Most recently Blain flew Sheriff Mike Linder out to help with the search for a missing person.

“She did a fantastic job, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go with her again,” Linder said. The sheriff described Blain as calm and professional while in the air.Family businessIn Billings her family is maybe most well-loved for giving Santa Claus a helping hand on Christmas Eve during a long-standing family tradition of flying the sleigh over Billings, Lockwood and Laurel.

Getting to work with her dad is Blain’s favorite part of piloting, she said, although he will not hesitate to dump the paperwork on the newbie.

Ashli Blain is the youngest of three daughters. Her older sisters know how to fly, but didn’t pursue flying as a potential career.

Blain wants to pursue a career flying “in some capacity,” but she’s not blind to the challenges and instability the industry faces, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

“Aviation is fickle,” Blain said. “It can collapse on a dime. I wanted to have a plan B.”

She’s a freshman studying accounting at Rocky Mountain College and realizes the duality of her two potential career paths.

Billings Flying Service was founded by brothers Gary and Al Blain, who in 2014 bought the nation’s first civilian-owned Chinook helicopters and fitted them for fighting wildfires and hauling heavy equipment. The shop they have to maintain the helicopters and service other air equipment is substantial.

Despite the family proclivity for flying, it took “a lot of begging” for her dad’s permission to fly, Blain said.

Her dad, Gary Blain, knows that not all kids have access to airplanes and helicopters at 13. But Ashli’s own dedication got her where she is today, he said.

“She really did the work and did more than I ever anticipated,” Gary Blain said.19-year-old Montana helicopter pilot joins the fight against wildfires in CaliforniaMontana pilot, 19, fighting California wildfires
https://x-default-stgec.uplynk.com/ausw/slices/b72/04469fe8a7064764bca317654e17b0b4/b7229814dd4b48c589fd24846138b333/poster_32201ed8ce504cda83bafbaa5de594e2.jpg
https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c7dd926/2147483647/strip/true/crop/759x427+85+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fewscripps-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F03%2Fac%2F177062714ef694bc7d13 b29c4ba0%2Fmontana-pilot.JPG
By: CBS News
Posted at 9:29 PM, Sep 16, 2020

and last updated 10:36 AM, Sep 17, 2020A 19-year-old helicopter pilot has joined the fight to help extinguish the wildfires (https://www.cbsnews.com/feature/california-wildfires/) that have burned 3 million acres in California. Ashli Blaine is just a teenager, but she flies one of the largest helicopter — the 40,000-pound CH-47 Chinook.

"You could say it's the family trade," Blaine told CBS News. "My dad's been fighting fires (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wildfires-west-coast-death-toll-burn-2020-09-15/) for close to 30 years now. As soon as I got into flying I knew that was going to be one of my end goals was to get into firefighting."

Flying as her dad's co-pilot, Ashli makes sure the water they're carrying hits its target.

"You have to be able to lean out the window basically and look at a water bucket underneath you and guide it where you want to go," she said.

"Sometimes we can be flying in very adverse conditions," Blaine said. "Thick smoke or just lots of other aircraft working with us that we have to be cognizant of."

But for a young woman who has been flying since she was 13, it's a dream summer job.
"I love what I do, especially getting to firefight with my dad. That's one of the best parts," she said.

"Other than flying, what's the most important lesson you've learned from your father?" CBS News asked.

"How to be a good person," Blaine replied. "He's a very compassionate and empathetic person. That's hopefully a trait that I can pick up from him and learn from him."

When Blaine heads out on a mission, all she needs is a bottle of water and a Snickers.

[capngrog]

"Billings Flying Service was founded by brothers Gary and Al Blain, who in 2014 bought the nation’s first civilian-owned Chinook helicopters and fitted them for fighting wildfires and hauling heavy equipment. The shop they have to maintain the helicopters and service other air equipment is substantial."

I think what the article's author meant was that Billings Flying Service is the first civilian owner/operator of the CH-47D, because, If my memory is correct, ERA Helicopters was the first American civilian owner/operator of the Chinook. The model they operated was the CH-47C, or otherwise known as the Boeing-Vertol 234. ERA serviced oil rigs in the Bering Sea and supported other operations along the Aleutian Chain of Islands.

Cheers,
Grog

[hueyracer]

"Billings Flying Service was founded by brothers Gary and Al Blain, who in 2014


So you´re saying this whole "Look, my 19 year old daughter with literally no experience on her freshly printed commercial license is now rated on some of the biggest helicopters in the world, flying fire fighting" is only a "marketing gag"?


Given the attention (and uproar) this article and video caused in the community speaks for itself.....so it definitely caught the attention.....

[capngrog]

So you´re saying this whole "Look, my 19 year old daughter with literally no experience on her freshly printed commercial license is now rated on some of the biggest helicopters in the world, flying fire fighting" is only a "marketing gag"?


Given the attention (and uproar) this article and video caused in the community speaks for itself.....so it definitely caught the attention.....

What ever in the World are you going on about? I merely pointed out a possible error in a detail of the article, which I ascribed to the author of the article, with no comment whatsoever concerning the overall content of the article. Please explain your response to my post. Puzzled, I am.

Cheers,
Grog

[[email protected]]

Good luck to her but you have to ask - if it had been a 19 year old boy instead of a cute looking girl, would AOPA have run the story and would there be any social media interest?

[SWBKCB]

Good luck to her but you have to ask - if it had been a 19 year old boy instead of a cute looking girl, would AOPA have run the story and would there be any social media interest?

Of course not, but it must be rare enough to still be a novelty.

And if just a few young girls decide "Hmm - I'd like a go at that", where's the problem?

Is positive publicity for the industry a bad thing?

[finalchecksplease]

Good luck to her but you have to ask - if it had been a 19 year old boy instead of a cute looking girl, would AOPA have run the story and would there be any social media interest?
Potentially not, but one can't forget commercial helicopter flying is still very much a male dominated world so not easy for females to break into it.

As you say good luck to her, the only thing I'm jealous about is getting a free box of snickers, if I was working a fire with her I would ask her to share those :).

hueyracer; would you not facilitate your child if they wanted to fly helicopters and you were in a position to do so?

[capngrog]

Of course not, but it must be rare enough to still be a novelty.

And if just a few young girls decide "Hmm - I'd like a go at that", where's the problem?

Is positive publicity for the industry a bad thing?

Perhaps it's a novelty these days, but in the U.S., during the height of the Vietnam War, 18 and 19 year old Warrant Officers were flying helicopters in combat.

Cheers,
Grog

[ApolloHeli]

Perhaps it's a novelty these days, but in the U.S., during the height of the Vietnam War, 18 and 19 year old Warrant Officers were flying helicopters in combat.

Cheers,
Grog

Reminds me of the book 'Snake Pilot'.

Qualified to be commander of a Cobra helicopter with enough armament to erase entire villages from the face of the earth, yet too young to rent a car in Hawaii.

'Murica

[Gordy]

As one who has shared the same airspace as her, and am somewhat "in the know"... although have not interacted personally with her, I have worked with Billings many times over the years including AJ prior to his passing, and I will say....

She did not ask for, or like all the publicity. She started flying with her father as a co-pilot, she has earned the right to her type certificate and will give any Hawk pilot or Chinook pilot a good run for their money on knowledge tests. She does have a lot to learn about fire and is extremely humble in admitting that. FWIW, I give her a plus 1 and look forward to drinking a beer with her in Boise at the annual fire pilot "meetings" once she is old enough.....

I think she would be quite happy to go back to flying incognito again and just do her job.

[Hughes500]

so what if she is 19, with not many hours, please tell me how old some military pilots are and their level of experience when they first start ? Lots will be not much older with not many more hours !

[hueyracer]

so what if she is 19, with not many hours, please tell me how old some military pilots are and their level of experience when they first start ? Lots will be not much older with not many more hours !

If you don´t get the difference, then there is no need in discussing this topic with you, as you´re simply lacking basic knowledge.....sorry.



In the past 25 years in this industry, i have seen hundreds of pilots applying for jobs like the one she seems to have (the article is giving the impression that she is rated as PIC on a Fire Hawk; giving the impression she is flying it in the fires.....).......and i have seen hundreds of them being rejected for either not having time on type, or not having the total experience required....or simply not having an ATPL (why can she be rated PIC on a heavy aircraft only holding a CPL anyway?)


Don´t get me wrong:
I am not saying she can´t be a nice person (i simply don´t know, as i don´t know her)-and i would say exactly the same if this article was about a 19 years old guy getting type rated on a Fire Hawk by Daddy..........

But if i am the only one thinking that it is wrong to send a freshmen CPL with a few hours as PIC on a fire hawk into fire fighting-then it really is about time for me to retire.

Like i said-i have carried enough experienced pilots to their final destination because they screwed up (or because they ran out of luck).
I don´t see any benefit of setting up for failure by allowing pilots without proper experience to do a job that is not a "learning environment"......

Either i am mistaken-and the article was just trying to brag about this pilot; or something really is wrong here...

[[email protected]]

so what if she is 19, with not many hours, please tell me how old some military pilots are and their level of experience when they first start ? Lots will be not much older with not many more hours ! but none of them get hyped into a social media whirl (I know she didn't ask for it) and they wouldn't be let loose to do anything operational for many, many more hours of training.

[Winnie]

There is another error in the article, in that it mentions several hundred 16 to 19 year olds with commercial licenses. Considering you have to be 18 to get your CPL ticket, the age range is a bit wide...

Other than that, good for her.

[Hughes500]

Huey

Try looking at the thread As350 Bambi bucket here we see what we can assume are very experienced pilots flying ! I need to say no more !

[hueyracer]

Huey

Try looking at the thread As350 Bambi bucket here we see what we can assume are very experienced pilots flying ! I need to say no more !


I have already seen that, but could keep my mouth shut on this one...(although i had to bite my tongue).

There are enough pilots with fire fighting experience who have been saying this for years:

Either you use a very short line, so the bambi cannot get into your tail rotor-or you use a long line.......
If there is one thing you should not use, its a line that stops exactly at the tail rotor, then you fly down the hill like a crazy cowboy.....


But again:

I think i am only getting too old for this.......too many times i had to say "I have been warning you"....

:D

[Gordy]

I think i am only getting too old for this.......too many times i had to say "I have been warning you"....

:D
You and me both.... These days the kids "know best", so I just sit in my anti-gravity chair or hammock ant the helibase and "smile & wave" and occasionally "throw more poo"... (big marshmallows)...:cool::cool:

[Nubian]

I have already seen that, but could keep my mouth shut on this one...(although i had to bite my tongue).

There are enough pilots with fire fighting experience who have been saying this for years:

Either you use a very short line, so the bambi cannot get into your tail rotor-or you use a long line.......
If there is one thing you should not use, its a line that stops exactly at the tail rotor, then you fly down the hill like a crazy cowboy.....


But again:

I think i am only getting too old for this.......too many times i had to say "I have been warning you"....

:D

If you and other pilots alike would actually bother reading the Bambi manual, instead of just “saying” that other thread would never be!

Quite simple really....!

[Gordy]

If you and other pilots alike would actually bother reading the Bambi manual, instead of just “saying” that other thread would never be!

Quite simple really....!
Problem is...we actually do. I have told pilots in the past about the correct length of line to attach a bucket and even told them where to find that info in the manual.

What gets me, is when you go to Bambi's social media sites and they are posting pictures of pilots violating their bucket manual guidelines and to make it worse Helicopter Association International then likes that picture.......:ugh:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1026x660/bb_99780881039573682b87119727f05fd629d2f33b.jpg

[rotorfan]

I’ve been itching to post again, but was hoping Gordy would chime in, whatever his opinion, as I suspected he might have insight into this family. Twenty years on this forum, and that’s the first time I’ve started a thread. Just a simple PPL with low RW hours, I don’t often feel comfortable about posting, as this place is meant for pros, but I hang out to learn. I should have expected it would somehow generate controversy, but I liked this story. Here’s a young pilot getting a chance to do something unusual, rather than sightseeing or moving freight or other typical early jobs. I wish I had gotten a commercial when I was young, and made flying a career, not just a “hobby”. Is it her fault she was born into an aviation family, and had an opportunity that others might not? If she had chosen to be a high fashion designer, someone would be chiding her for wasting the family flying connection. I expect her dad wouldn’t let her behind the cyclic if she wasn’t capable. He sure wouldn’t want to lose his precious little daughter and his precious little, er, big helicopter. I also highly doubt a pilot examiner would pass her checkrides if she wasn’t qualified, as it looks bad on them if she bends the airframe. Lessee, she has a commercial, instructor certificate, and typed in a Cessna jet. I haven’t seen the order form where I can send off my money for all that.

I wanted to be a military pilot, like my father, but had poor eyesight even as a kid. So, I learned planks as a young adult. Later, something sparked an interest in helicopters, and I found myself a student again, flogging the R22 an hour and half in the morning, then working the rest of the day, hoping I’d break even. Many of you gave up much more to learn, including compulsory years in the military. I continually read the bleating about bad bosses, lousy pay, junk machines, 21 hours on/3 hours off workdays, so why do it? Because of the love of flying, and helicopters in particular.

To those who support the young lady, I thank you for the positive comments. To those who didn’t see it that way, you once had one hour in your logbook, and someone was giving you a chance, not knowing if you’d even make it to a checkride, or survive and gain experience. Everybody starts somewhere, and it’s not all equal. Fair doesn’t exist in life. Bothered because she’s getting a little publicity when you’ve got so many more hours, and have done far greater things, and no article about you? It’s written by her hometown newspaper. Sheesh! Shouldn’t every small paper publish a positive story about one of their own youngsters? We all know how much bad press there is about this industry, I welcome something good. Yeah, a couple of inaccuracies, typical for a non-aviation writer.

I think she’s smart for having a Plan B. The accounting and business knowledge will serve her well to keep the company in the family down the road. Who knows, what if she ended up at one of the horribly run big operators I keep reading about here. Just think of it, a beancounter that actually can fly a helicopter. What a novel concept! Hmmmm, she might have empathy for those poor overworked pilots and try to improve their lot.

Between unaffordable rental rates and 7 years of cancer, the heli column in my logbook isn’t growing. But, that doesn’t mean I’m bitter and I can’t be happy for someone else’s success. I’m three times Ashli’s age with a fraction of her accomplishments, and my ego isn’t so large that I can’t acknowledge that. I love seeing young people exceed, as there are always plenty that don’t. Just last week, I attended a STOL (short takeoff or landing) competition. One competitor was a woman that just started flying this year, and has 300 hours. She came over the trees in a 60-deg slip right down to the grass, and made it look routine. Way better pilot than I am. She won second place. Oh yeah, just age 17. Once in a while, someone exceptional comes along. I think we call them a natural stick? Bravo! Can’t we celebrate that? Just yesterday, I got a text from one of the 500+ Young Eagles I’ve flown. He flies C-130s in the Marines in Hellistan. Hearing from him made my day, but not as much as the time he sent a pic standing in front of the TH-55 he had just passed his instrument checkride in. Wow, was I proud. He has far exceeded me, and as a mentor, I’m delighted.

I’ll get off the soapbox now. Maybe I’ll start a thread in another 20 years, if I make it that long, but only after slipping on the flak jacket.

[nomorehelosforme]

I’ve been itching to post again, but was hoping Gordy would chime in, whatever his opinion, as I suspected he might have insight into this family. Twenty years on this forum, and that’s the first time I’ve started a thread. Just a simple PPL with low RW hours, I don’t often feel comfortable about posting, as this place is meant for pros, but I hang out to learn. I should have expected it would somehow generate controversy, but I liked this story. Here’s a young pilot getting a chance to do something unusual, rather than sightseeing or moving freight or other typical early jobs. I wish I had gotten a commercial when I was young, and made flying a career, not just a “hobby”. Is it her fault she was born into an aviation family, and had an opportunity that others might not? If she had chosen to be a high fashion designer, someone would be chiding her for wasting the family flying connection. I expect her dad wouldn’t let her behind the cyclic if she wasn’t capable. He sure wouldn’t want to lose his precious little daughter and his precious little, er, big helicopter. I also highly doubt a pilot examiner would pass her checkrides if she wasn’t qualified, as it looks bad on them if she bends the airframe. Lessee, she has a commercial, instructor certificate, and typed in a Cessna jet. I haven’t seen the order form where I can send off my money for all that.

I wanted to be a military pilot, like my father, but had poor eyesight even as a kid. So, I learned planks as a young adult. Later, something sparked an interest in helicopters, and I found myself a student again, flogging the R22 an hour and half in the morning, then working the rest of the day, hoping I’d break even. Many of you gave up much more to learn, including compulsory years in the military. I continually read the bleating about bad bosses, lousy pay, junk machines, 21 hours on/3 hours off workdays, so why do it? Because of the love of flying, and helicopters in particular.

To those who support the young lady, I thank you for the positive comments. To those who didn’t see it that way, you once had one hour in your logbook, and someone was giving you a chance, not knowing if you’d even make it to a checkride, or survive and gain experience. Everybody starts somewhere, and it’s not all equal. Fair doesn’t exist in life. Bothered because she’s getting a little publicity when you’ve got so many more hours, and have done far greater things, and no article about you? It’s written by her hometown newspaper. Sheesh! Shouldn’t every small paper publish a positive story about one of their own youngsters? We all know how much bad press there is about this industry, I welcome something good. Yeah, a couple of inaccuracies, typical for a non-aviation writer.

I think she’s smart for having a Plan B. The accounting and business knowledge will serve her well to keep the company in the family down the road. Who knows, what if she ended up at one of the horribly run big operators I keep reading about here. Just think of it, a beancounter that actually can fly a helicopter. What a novel concept! Hmmmm, she might have empathy for those poor overworked pilots and try to improve their lot.

Between unaffordable rental rates and 7 years of cancer, the heli column in my logbook isn’t growing. But, that doesn’t mean I’m bitter and I can’t be happy for someone else’s success. I’m three times Ashli’s age with a fraction of her accomplishments, and my ego isn’t so large that I can’t acknowledge that. I love seeing young people exceed, as there are always plenty that don’t. Just last week, I attended a STOL (short takeoff or landing) competition. One competitor was a woman that just started flying this year, and has 300 hours. She came over the trees in a 60-deg slip right down to the grass, and made it look routine. Way better pilot than I am. She won second place. Oh yeah, just age 17. Once in a while, someone exceptional comes along. I think we call them a natural stick? Bravo! Can’t we celebrate that? Just yesterday, I got a text from one of the 500+ Young Eagles I’ve flown. He flies C-130s in the Marines in Hellistan. Hearing from him made my day, but not as much as the time he sent a pic standing in front of the TH-55 he had just passed his instrument checkride in. Wow, was I proud. He has far exceeded me, and as a mentor, I’m delighted.

I’ll get off the soapbox now. Maybe I’ll start a thread in another 20 years, if I make it that long, but only after slipping on the flak jacket.

Sir, nothing more to say apart from what an extremely fine post/response to previous posts, both negative and positive alike....Surely no need to sit on the benches for another 20 years!!!

[megan]

I’ll get off the soapbox now. Maybe I’ll start a thread in another 20 years, if I make it that long, but only after slipping on the flak jacket.No need for the flak jacket rotorfan, they're such poor shots around here they'll miss. Please keep posting, extremely nice to see such positivity, and well written I might add. We have folk here who could win the lottery and would still complain that it was paid out in $20 notes, no pleasing some folk, so don't worry about their jibes. As for the young lass, good for her, I wish her all the best.

[Bell_ringer]

Rotorfan :ok:

[hueyracer]

I’ve been itching to post again, ......


Don´t ever worry about speaking your mind, or sharing your opinion-it might one day save your life....

Just because other people have a different opinion does not make them your "enemy".
Sharing your opinion does not make anyone your "friend".

I learnt most from "grumpy" instructors or examiners-because they simply KNEW their stuff, while others were trying to cover their own inaccuracies with humor or a "friendly" appearance.....

If there is one thing i appreciate about this forum, than it is that people here-no matter how "grumpy" they may sound over their keyboards-are always willing to share their knowledge and point you in the right direction....

I have not found any other forum on the internet yet that is anything like this one...

[etudiant]

Surely there is no arguing that this is a lovely lass, gifted as well with the courage and skill to perform in the very unpredictable fire fighting envoronment.
We should all celebrate her achievement.
Grumps are welcome to step outside, because one like her will inspire 100 new entrants, whereas no grump ever inspires anything.