RPMN: Have you ever had an “Oh, crap” moment in a helicopter? Can you summarize what happened?


I was fortunate not to have a true “Oh, crap” moment. The biggest challenge was probably suffering a hydraulics failure in one of our Bell 407 aircraft while flying a mission in the northwest part of the county at night. We were fortunate to have emergency procedures training twice a year that included hydraulic failures, so it was a relatively uneventful flight back to the airport. Admittedly, there was a little white-knuckled landing. Taking the time to train definitely paid off as the response to that event was well rehearsed, which minimized the stress of the incident.


RPMN: If you could give only one piece of advice to a new helicopter pilot or mechanic, what would it be?


Never stop learning. Pay attention to your instructors and senior pilots and mechanics. The amount of wisdom and tips I received over my years of flying served me well throughout my career.


RPMN: In your view, what is the greatest challenge for the helicopter industry now?


The biggest challenge I see is the ability to fill open positions with qualified personnel. A lot of long-time talent has retired or left the industry; it’s a challenge to find experienced replacements. Due to the high cost of training pilots and mechanics, and with competition from more lucrative aviation jobs, it seems to be difficult to attract those that would be the best investment for the future.


Minnis (left) with Captain Keith Haney of the Ohio State Patrol Aviation Section outside of the Orange County hangar complex.


Minnis (left) with Orange County Sheriff’s Aviation Section.


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