Solo Spotlight: Jeff Miller

Date of solo: April 7th, 2008
Solo in N2090U

How did you feel?
Excited! What else is there to say this is why we work so hard.

Describe your experience:
Solo flight is great, the weather cut it short but now it’s on and up from here.

What are your long term career goals?
I’m leaving it open to anything at this point but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t be flying a few skydivers in the future.

Any advice to future helicopter students?
The sooner the better, but watch out, you’re $99.00 Discovery flight just might turn into half your paycheck for the rest of your life.

Solo Spotlight: Nate Anderson

Date of solo: April 2nd, 2008
Solo in N2108M

How did you feel?
Surprisingly I was pretty calm, and super excited. I was so happy that the weather cooperated with us too.

Describe your experience:
I didn’t realize everyone was going to be outside watching me do a couple pickups and set downs so I got a bit nervous. Then Curtis came running over and I thought oh great, they’re not happy yet’ but he just told me I was good to go. I calmed right down and went to take off. After I got in the air, on my way back to the airport all of a sudden it hit me, I am flying a helicopter by myself! I was amazed that I was there. It was also pretty humbling because without my instructor I paid even closer attention and realized so many more things that I could improve.

What are your long term career goals?
The main reason I came to fly helicopters is because I love doing things for people that they can’t do for themselves. My goal is to fly for Airmed and to possibly get into SAR or firefighting. I think helping save people’s lives will be the greatest thing in the world!

Any advice to future helicopter students?
If you are thinking about it, come take a discovery flight. If you are still stoked, work hard and make it happen. If you are not so excited about your current job that you think about it all the time even when you don’t have to, then find out what that dream job is! It might just be flying helicopters!

Solo Spotlight: Zac Miller

Date of solo: March 24th, 2008
Solo in N1510A

How did you feel?
Awesome, I was very excited. A little nervous.

Describe your experience:
I had already flown solo for the first time in airplane but I still was a little nervous. It was very fun and I had a great time. I love flying, its sweet.

What are your long term career goals?
Search and rescue as a professional pilot.

Any advice to future helicopter students?
Be confident in your skills.

Solo Spotlight: Gary Kapp

Date of solo: March 24th, 2008
Solo in N2108M

How did you feel?
I was very excited and nervous. I was also very confident because of the quality of training I have received.

Describe your experience:
I was all smiles! I continually did all of my instrument checks out loud to myself as well as my clearances to make turns. I was like a pig in shit. It was awesome to do my take off, landings, and radio calls on my own. I felt way cool!

What are your long term career goals?
I plan on just having fun for recreation.

Any advice to future helicopter students?
Just focus and do it! JFD

	Check Rides John Dickson Kenny Foster Kyle Hall Matt Keanon Chris Lewis Zac Miller Derrick Tobler Geoff Wible Jon Hislop Nate Anderson Chad Bradshaw Cody Woolstenhulme Ken Tolbert 3/7 INST 3/8 CFII 3/7 COM 3/3 INST 3/26 CFII 3/4 PVT 4/17 PVT 3/19 INST 3/19 INST 4/19 PVT 4/21 PVT 4/4 PVT 4/4 INST 4/30 CFII

	Solos Gary Kapp Zac Miller Jon Hislop Nate Anderson Jeff Miller Clint Braden 3/24 3/24 3/12 4/2 4/7 4/11

Jeff Miller: Solo

Nate Anderson: Solo

Clint Braden: Solo

Zac Miller: Solo

Jon Hislop: Solo

Gary Kapp: Solo

J. Mathew Keanon

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A Big Welcome to Mattew Keanon

High Desert Helicopters is up in the air at welcoming our most recent top graduate and newest flight instructor, J. Matthew Keanon.

Matt was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and grew up in Douglas, Georgia. It is there he acquired the love of down-home cooking and made some secret smokin’ recipes for barbeque sauces. Sunset, Utah is now home to Matt, his beautiful wife, Melissa and their husky puppy, Tank, dog Angel and Blacky the cat.

Matt was knee high to a grasshopper when his interest in flying began. All his aspirations have pointed the way to becoming a pilot. Joining the U.S. Air Force as an Avionics Tech for F-16’s, his plan was to become a fighter pilot when he was injured and received a medical discharge. But injuries don’t damage dreams. Matt started checking out flight schools, initially one of our competitors, when he discovered our website. He was sold on our ‘one-on-one training’ and our fleet of Schweizer 300 C’s. Then he took one of our Discovery Flights and the rest is history.

A never forgotten moment for Matt was his first solo flight. That’s when it first hit him, “I’m a pilot!!!” A never forgotten trip was in our 300C N9WZ with Chief Instructor Jon Iverson. They flew from Oregon back to Utah. He recalls flying along breathtaking waterfalls, rivers, watching the loggers float logs down the rivers. “It was incredible seeing the country from the air, stopping at different airports, experiencing different airspaces.”

Matt’s advice to people trying to get into the industry: “If you have a dream, do everything in your power to achieve that dream, even though difficult at time, the end result is definitely worth it.”

WELCOME, MATT! HDH is proud to have you aboard.

Facility Update

Our amazing new facility is almost completed! We are excited to be moving to this new location in June. Incorporating spacious classrooms upstairs, administrative offices on the entry level, adjacent hangar with heli pads and runways close at hand, and a shared front lobby boasting a breathtaking mural of our own Ogden mountains, a beautiful stone fireplace, Pilot’s Lounge and preflight area. Simply stated, the atmosphere is inspiring and inviting. We can hardly wait.

Career Seminar

Watch for information concerning our upcoming career seminar. High Desert Helicopters will be hosting some of our industry leaders in the rotorcraft sector. You will not want to miss this event.

New Job Site: CopterJobs.com

Want to find out about employment opportunities available to helicopter pilots? Check out CopterJobs.com.

The brainchild of accomplished Huey and CH-47 experienced A&P mechanic, Debi Irby and graphic artist Caryn Hammond, CopterJobs.com is free to job seekers. Employers pay a fee for listings, which start at 30 days and are available for up to one year. During the launch phase, CopterJobs.com is offering employers a free 30 day trial of the Web site.

Registration is not necessary to view available jobs, but by registering (also free), job seekers can avail themselves of features like the free resume’ builder and their own homepage. Job seekers can specify how information appears to employers and have resume’ automatically sent to employers when they apply online to available jobs. Searches use four different criteria, including category (pilot, mechanic, management, and so on), location, job type and by keyword.

Irby encourage students interested in helicopter careers to peruse and even join CopterJobs.com to study the job market and their chosen career.