Chris Baur Pilot, aerospace executive, The Woodlands, Texas, USA
Quick Facts CURRENT JOB I am president and CEO of Hughes Aerospace Corp. and lead a team of incredible people who create and maintain instrument flight procedures for all types of aircraft worldwide, especially heli- copters and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. I am also the industry chair of the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST). Lastly, I’m a senior captain and line check pilot at United Airlines, enthusiastically connecting people to their helicopter flights all over the globe.
FIRST VERTICAL AVIATION JOB I was an OH-58A scout pilot in the US Army, an HH-65A search-and-rescue (SAR) pilot in the US Coast Guard, an HH-60G combat SAR pilot in the US Air Force, and a law enforcement pilot with the US Customs Service. My first civilian job was as a Bell 206 charter pilot in New York City. It was the first time I was presented with my own key to a helicopter and flew paying passengers.
FAVORITE HELICOPTER I’ve flown 14 helicopters in commercial, military, and government service. The Robinson R66 is the first helicopter I owned, and on a whim I flew my family from Houston to New York City for the holidays—a trip of a lifetime! I set an endurance record during an oceanic rescue in the Sikorsky HH-60G, flying over 16 hours. [I’ve done] forma- tion and sling loads in the Huey. I flew the HH-65A, performing rescue hoists and night shipboard landings aboard Coast Guard cutters. Night- vision goggles [missions] in the OH-58 on the Korean Demilitarized Zone. They’re all my favorites.
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How did you decide helicopter aviation was the career for you? Honestly, helicopters found me. I started flying air- planes in 1979 and didn’t have exposure to helicop- ters until I enlisted in the army. My first helicopter flight was in a UH-1 Huey. That’s all it took. Eventually, I earned my helicopter ATP and CFI/II and have enjoyed experiencing much of what can and proba- bly shouldn’t be done in a helicopter!
How did you get to your current position? A friend once told people that when it comes to doing things, there’s the easy way, the hard way, and the Baur way, and if you work with me, you don’t get to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom. My career hasn’t been a linear projection but a journey of global adventures in aerospace, meeting people, working together to solve problems, pioneering new solutions resulting in safer, more efficient and dependable flying. I’ve flown continuously throughout my career, often multiple aircraft at the same time. Following the events of 9/11, I volunteered to help change avi- ation security. That led me in another direction and I became a pioneer in the global performance-based navigation, or PBN, movement. In a 1996 Newsweek article, I was coined an “easygoing danger lover,” but perhaps I just couldn’t hold a job.
What are your career goals? Volunteer whenever and however I can and inspire others to do so. I lied about my age so I could be a volunteer fireman and medic. I volunteered in aviation security after 9/11. When you give back to others, you get far more in return.
What advice would you give to someone pursuing your path? Try to find an easier path than I did, unless you like to build your character. But the path with more
POWER UP DEC 2024
FLIGHT PATH
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