JOE LEACH PHOTO


FUTURE FACES By Jaasmin Foote


Jessica Meiris, Recipient of the HAI Michelle


North Scholarship for Safety “Backup career” leads entrepreneurial pilot to start her own helicopter flight instruction and operations company.


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ROWING UP IN COLORADO Springs, Colorado, Jessica Meiris enjoyed mountain biking


and rock climbing. She loved climbing so much, in fact, that she later worked as a mountain guide for more than 15 years. But as she entered her late 30s, she knew that, despite her love for her job, she physically wouldn’t be able to remain a guide forever. So she decided she needed a backup career. Little did she know that a


devastating accident would simultaneously lead her to her first encounter with a helicop- ter, end her job search—and change her life forever. One day in 2010, Jessica and her then-boyfriend, Buster Jesik, were on a climb in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada when he fell from about 50 ft. “As a mountain guide, I had medical


training, and I thought he might have injured his back and head,” recalls Jessica. She flagged down a couple of climbers, who called 911. Within 30 minutes, she could hear a helicopter approaching to take Jesik to the hospital. While Jessica was focused on getting


Jesik to safety, she couldn’t help but notice all the helicopter’s cool capabilities from the moment it landed. She remembers the severity of the situation, of course, but also recalls grinning while getting her first heli- copter ride that day. “I was amazed,” says Jessica. “We


56 ROTOR DECEMBER 2021


were in a tight canyon that had no place to land, so the pilot balanced one skid on a rock when we loaded into the aircraft. It was so impressive—from the maneuver- ability of the machine to the skill of the pilot


“I’m not one of those people who


wanted to fly since I was 6 and suddenly achieved my dreams,” says Jessica. “Most of the decisions I make in my life are practi- cal and well thought out, and this is one of them. I knew I needed a backup career, and this was the best fit for me.” In 2018, Jessica joined HAI


and quickly began taking advantage of all the resources the association offers its members and the aviation community at large. That same year, Jessica attended her very first HAI HELI-EXPO® and has been to every one since.


One of the most essential


opportunities Expo offers, Jessica says, is the chance to network with other industry professionals. “I can’t empha-


and the coordination of the rescue. And [the crew] got there quickly and safely.”


Her Next Role Jessica says that during the helicopter ride, she made a mental note to investigate a career in rotorcraft after the emergency was over. When the time came to begin looking for a new profession four years later, she began researching all the fields she was interested in, placing helicopter work high on her list, for many reasons. For one, she wanted to remain working in the mountains. For another, she sought to give back to climbing. Jessica also wanted a job that was physically relatively easy but men- tally stimulating.


size enough the importance of networking in this small industry,” she says. “Network- ing is everything, and I’ve gained so much knowledge and so many connections and have had great conversations at the show. And it’s fun to be around helicopters for a few days.” Jessica says Expo is also a great place to meet up with friends and other aviation pros she already knows, including mem- bers of Whirly-Girls and the US Helicopter Safety Team, two nonprofit organizations for which she volunteers. Jessica started flight school in September 2018 and finished in March 2020. After receiving her private, instru- ment, commercial, CFI, and CFII ratings,


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