“IT TAKES A CERTAIN TYPE OF PERSON TO SUCCEED AT FLYING TOURS: THE JOB REQUIRES MUCH MORE THAN JUST FLYING A HELICOPTER.”


Understanding that point is critical


to Maverick’s longtime chief pilot, Joe Munoz, as he is mostly responsible for hiring the company’s pilots. Although a minimum of 1,200 hours helicopter experience and 300 hours of turbine time are required for consideration, many new hires will have much more than that. They may also have previous experience with another tour operator. Once hired, as a FAA Part 135 air carrier, all pilots will go through FAA-approved ground and flight training. The training is conducted in- house by one of three training pilots. It can be several weeks long and culminates in an oral exam and flight check by the company check airman. According to Assistant Chief Pilot Jim


Ogletree, the biggest difference between its new-hire training program and other operators is that the flight operations management team is very hands on during the process. Class sizes are kept to only three pilots. The chief pilot, asst. chief pilot, and training pilots regularly fly the line. Once a new pilot has completed both training and the flight check, he or she is not just thrown into the mix. There is an extended mentoring period in which a management pilot is always present. He or she may be in the same aircraft with the new pilot during a tour, or in one of the helicopters in a tour group. Tour groups always go out in groups of 3 – 8 helicopters and are in close communications, allowing management to keep a close eye on new pilots while keeping standards very high. In the tour industry, pilot turnover is traditionally high as the job is viewed by many as a steppingstone to other sectors, such as electronic newsgathering and HEMS. Maverick is not delusional about that fact; they understand that it comes with the territory. However, the company is not resigned to accepting an average turnover rate. They realize that having a well trained and highly experienced pilot,


with the right attitude, is essential to giving every single customer an amazing experience. Therefore, the company is not only in


religious its approach to hiring the


right people, but proactive in creating an atmosphere that is conducive to keeping people around. From a pilot’s perspective, Maverick has a reputation in the area for having not only very competitive pay, but also for creating a family atmosphere. It helps that they boast some of the newest and best maintained equipment in the business. For its efforts, Maverick contains its pilot turnover rate to less than 50 percent. The management team, among both flight and maintenance departments, has virtually no turnover, with most top positions held for 15 years or more.


MAINTENANCE MAKES THE SHOW GO


Since pilots have the most direct connection with passengers, they naturally play a critical role as to whether or not guests walk away having had an amazing experience. This connection impacts word-of-mouth, internet reviews, and return business. However, if pilots are seen as the “stars” of the show, it is maintenance that makes the show go. Without an expert team of mechanics and support personnel working around the clock, the entire production would come to a screeching halt. In 2014 alone, the company flew over 41,000 flight hours. John Mandernach, vice president of maintenance, and his team have their work cut out for them to keep their availability rate at 100 percent. At these flight volumes, staying ahead of the maintenance curve is a balancing act of science, planning, and art. From an outsider’s perspective, one might take a look at Maverick’s maintenance program and sum it up in one word: overkill. But after scratching


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