fishing, or relaxing at home with my boyfriend, his daughter, and our dog. Additionally, I’ve recently delved into recreational tailwheel airplane flying.
RP: What is your greatest career accomplishment to date?
I’d say remaining steadfast in maintaining integrity and prioritizing safety. Doing the right thing is not always easy, but essential. The challenge arises when realizing one stands alone in an environment where deviant behavior is normalized. Whether it involves refusing to fly an unairworthy aircraft or resigning due to safety concerns, I have always stood my ground. Reflecting on the past, I take pride in never compromising my standards for the sake of financial gain or mere flight hours.
RP: Have you ever had an “oh, crap” moment in helicopters? Can you summarize what happened?
While flying a news helicopter in Los Angeles about 12 years ago, I experienced my first bird strike at night. At the time, I didn’t immediately realize it was a bird strike because I didn’t see what happened; I only heard it. I was flying straight and level when there was a sudden loud BANG! It startled me, and I immediately checked my flight controls and instruments, wondering if we had been shot at. As a precaution, I made a landing at the Pasadena PD helipad where a couple of officers came out with flashlights to help look for anything unusual. We found a small area with feathers and blood on the nose of the AStar, but surprisingly, the impact didn’t cause any damage other than the need for some decontamination cleanup. That initial “oh, crap” moment turned into an “oh, hey” moment by getting the opportunity to meet a few of the pilots we often shared the airspace with in the LA Basin. It was great to finally put a face to the voices we had been hearing on 123.02.
RP: If you could give only one piece of advice to new pilots, mechanics, or support personnel, what would it be?
It may sound cliché, but it was advice given to me when I was new to the industry, and I’ve always tried to live by it: “Enjoy the journey as much as the destination.” I started very ambitious with the end goal of
becoming a helicopter air ambulance pilot, but always made sure to enjoy my different flying jobs, living locations, and friendships made along the way.
RP: In your view, what is the greatest challenge for the helicopter industry at this moment in time?
The airline industry’s pilot shortage has led to the recruitment of highly skilled career helicopter pilots and an increase in attrition rates in the helicopter industry.
Do you know someone who would be a good subject for Meet a Rotor Pro? Email your suggestion to the editor-in-chief:
lyn.burks@rotorpro.com
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