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Jun
01
2026
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Posted 2 hours ago ago by Admin
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What is your current position?
First and foremost, my most important position is I’m a dad to five wonderful young ladies, and husband to another lady. I also have one son. I have two primary jobs in the rotor-wing industry. For my day job I am a line pilot for Precision LLC. We specialize in aerial fire suppression in the AS332 Super Puma. For my fun-side job, I work for Euro Safety as an Instructor. Euro Safety provides factory equivalent training in all types of airframes. I specialize in the Bell medium and light products.
What was your first experience with helicopters?
My first experience with helicopters was at an early age. I grew up in rural Minnesota, so it was not a common experience to see a helicopter. Every time a medical ship would land at our local hospital, my dad would throw me in the car. We would go down to watch them land, and try to sneak past security to talk to the pilots.
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started out doing the pay-to-play option. I went to flight school and paid to fly as a student, flew for free as an instructor, got paid to fly doing tours in the Grand Canyon, and now mostly get paid not to fly (from the comfort of my lawn chair) waiting for something to burn.
When and how did you choose the helicopter Industry, or did it choose you?
The industry definitely chose me. I was one of those high school to flight school kids. I really didn’t know what direction to go in life. My Mom actually pointed out to me that a flight school opened up in the “big” town north of us. I went for a ride, and said yeah I could see myself doing this for awhile… That “while” has been 20 years now, and I can’t complain. It worked out well for me. I can’t imagine being stuck behind a desk. I love working outside, and I was really good at the claw arcade machine as a kid (so many squishy balls). For me, utility work was just a matter of when, not if.
If you weren’t in the helicopter industry, what would you be doing?
If I weren’t in the industry I’d probably still be playing Peter Pan trying to figure out what to do. The only thing I’m sure about is I love being a dad. I just happen to be marginally mediocre at being a pilot on a good day, and the people I work with keep asking me to come back. Plus, flying is almost as bad as a good crack addiction so I keep going back.
What do you do on your days off?
Did I mention I have six kids, and a wife? If I ever do get a day off, I’ll let you know what I would do. When I am home, we spend our time out on the lake, skiing, camping, going on mini vacations, sports, school activities, and loading and unloading many dishes at the dishwasher.
What’s your greatest career accomplishment?
I would have to say my greatest career accomplishment is being married to my favorite wife and the only wife I’ve ever had. That’s an accomplishment in an industry with crazy schedules, last-minute changes, international work, and being away for extended periods of time. Sadly, AIDS happens: Aviation Induced Divorce Syndrome. I would like to say I’ve avoided getting AIDS because I did a pretty darn good “pre-flight check” on my wife’s sanity for this lifestyle before we got married, but truth be told she is just the most understanding, patient, caring woman in the world, and I fooled her into marrying me.
Have you ever had an “oh, crap” moment?
I think if you haven’t had an “oh, crap” moment, unfortunately it’s only a matter of time. I’ve had plenty of minor ones, and I’ve had a few “thank you Jesus” ones. You play the game long enough and you will have one too. The biggest piece of advice I can give is when those moments come, hopefully you have been staying vigilant. In our line of work when “oh, crap” moments come it isn’t like making a mistake flipping burgers where you drop a patty on the floor, pick it up, dust it off, throw it on the bun, and nobody knows. When we misdiagnose an “oh, crap” moment, and then make a mistake, it can often be unforgiving or fatal.
What advice would you give to people interested in this industry?
I think the biggest piece of advice I could give to future helicopter pilots or maintenance technicians would be to have fun with this industry (It is fun!) but don’t let it become your whole life. I’ve met many people in this industry that this is all they have. You will get to see and experience some of God’s finest earth art. You will gain a perspective by being in this industry that no 9-to-5 worker can understand. That can make life complicated, but try to stay rooted in your life outside of work. We are a small community of some of the finest human beings I have had the privilege of working with and crossing paths with. Many have been life-long career friends that I still keep in touch with.
What is the greatest challenge for the Industry at this time?
We have a lack of qualified pilots and mechanics in the job pool. Having a certificate and a pulse does not make you qualified. Many jobs require specific sets of skills and expertise, and I know in the utility sector, right now, we are short of skilled pilots and field mechanics. I know many companies are trying to bridge that gap by hiring new pilots straight out of flight schools, and doing ride-along programs. (We used to call it “meat in the seat.”) This kind of ties into the previous question, but if you are the meat in the seat: Take that time in; ask questions! The guy sitting next to you has probably been doing this a long time, and has a wealth of knowledge from trial and error and from still being around after a long career. That experience is invaluable. Don’t just get through it so you can go do it. Learn from their stories and training flights, take your time, and get qualified slowly. This is an industry where you won’t survive if you try to “fake it till you make it.”
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