What Schlaefli and Wells are really providing is opportunity. “A traditional business would say that we are here to make a profit. We’re here for workforce development,” states Schlaefli. For decades the most traditional path into the helicopter industry outside the military has been to earn your flight instructor certificates and build your hours instructing before moving on to higher-tier jobs. That has presented a major obstacle to pilots who have no interest in teaching. With low hours and little opportunity, it has forced a lot of otherwise qualified pilots to give up on their career ambitions. Schlaefli wants to change that. “Not everyone wants to be a flight instructor, nor should they be, quite frankly. There needs to be a viable alternative.”


50 Mar/Apr 2023


When you start talking with the staff working at Black Hills Aerial Adventures you quickly realize one thing: they’re all pilots. Some of them are fresh out of flight school with 200 hours and excited to be in South Dakota. Here, they have an opportunity to prove themselves as professionals and as pilots developing their experience. They work the counter, greet customers, clean the aircraft in the mornings, provide safety briefings to passengers, and take photos of smiling faces once they’ve completed their tour. In between all that, they fly. During their first season, it may be maintenance flights or relocation flights moving from one base to another as they learn the ropes of the operation. After that, it’s tours in the R44. If they come back for another season, they may progress to the R66 or LongRanger to


get some turbine experience. Eventually, they will have the opportunity to move into the Part 135 world with Dakota Rotors, BHAA’s Part 135 certificate holder. “In the busy season, we will fly five hours a day typically,” reflects Austyn Schlueter, who is in his third season at BHAA. Schlueter now lives full-time in nearby Rapid City, making him one of the few local pilots. The rest are mostly seasonal from all over the U.S. In addition to experience, BHAA also provides housing for these pilots, complete with an outside camping area and a scenic view of the Black Hills. “There’s a great sense of comradery amongst the pilots. We have a lot of fun here,” Schlueter says.


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