The Importance of Pathways For many years, the vertical aviation industry was able to replenish its workforce with little effort. Those days are long gone, and our industry now has to learn to find talent, tell them our story, and demonstrate the opportunities we offer. The Utah Rotor Pathway Program—and similar programs
in other states—stands out because it provides students with exposure to the industry and then lights the way to aviation education and professional licensing. Because of the inte- gration between the educational institutions and the industry, young people can more easily reach careers that, scant years before, they might not have even known existed.
Above: Pilot Nathan Barton begins a series of announcements to passengers about to embark on their tour of the Grand Canyon’s western reaches in an Airbus H130.
Below: Barton earned his (rotary) wings at Southern Utah University and then, after building hours with a small operator on the East Coast of the United States, joined one of the URPP’s commercial operator partners, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, flying tours out of Boulder City, Nevada.