TOP: PHOTO COURTESY STACY SHEARD; SIDE: DAN SWEET/HAI
“I knew I wanted to fly, but I didn’t know how I was going to pay or ity f for it,” she says.“Ten m
“I knew I w
ys. “Ten my mom gave me a book fu full of Black Ha
ll of Black Hawks I think tha wa what he pe me decide t
In 1990, Stacy en
and learn to fly there.” y enlistlisted in the
US Arm
US Army. Her initial a was wor ing a and analyst f
er initial assignment
s working as a Russian linguistussian linguist and analyst for the National Security Ag she applie
ity Agency. Four years in, . Four years in,
she applied for the warrant officer pro ram and fligh
program and flight school. Shehool. She gradua d in 1995 and fle Hueys and Black Hawk six years b
graduated in 1995 and flew Hu
k Hawks for
x years before leaving the army in 2001.
in 2001. Fi di H S Finding Her Superpower It was during her last year in the army that Stacy disiscovered the skill t
her career. Based at Fort Irwin in California, she began to research post-army job pr pects. She traveled to Las Vegas to meet with he icellicopter tour operators, including Sundance Helicopters. She asked questions about transitioning t out her resume, and did the most important thing a j impression.
ansitioning to civiilian flying hande a job seeker can do: made a p
took the time to talk to employers, I landed a job when they started hiring again in January. Tat’s when I really learned and understood the power of networking.” Stacy flew tours of Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon in A One day while out flying, she crossed paths with Los Angelle
couple of months. But b when t ey d t
ower of ne
Horton. Te two made a strong impression on each other. Not long afte applied to Helinet Aviation, in Van Nuys, California for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (read more about H line 2020 issue of ROTOR).
ia, to fly it out Helinet Aviation
yon in AS350 B2s for Sundance. es–based pilot Desiree . Not long after, Stacy Stacy fly its S-76 on a contract tion in the Q2
he Q2
“When the chief pilot asked his employees if they knew me, Desiree spoke up, she says. “I honestly believe that networking helped me ged me get the job.he job.” Stacy later moved to Elite Aviation, also in Van Nuys, wherNuys, where she flew single-pilot IFR as a corporate Bell 430 capt main assignment was corporate transport, with a ittle a litl flying for film production on the side. When Elite sold its aircraft in 2007, Sikorsky hired Stacy as a production test pilot for S-76 and S-92 helicopters. Stacy again credits networking for the move.
tain. Her sold
tion ain
“Tree years before, when I was flying for Childrensn’’s
Hospital in the S-76, I’d started talking with people at Sikorsky,” she says. “Te timing was right when a job opened there.” Stacy’s people and piloting skills expanded while at Sikorsky. Her duties included production test-flying in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, delivery flights, and flightght
ple n a
ile 2020 Q3 ROTOR 27 spoke up,”
But because I ing again in king
lian flying,, handed an do: made a positive
“I was due to get out in November 2001, then Septembptember 11 happened” Sd,,” Stacy saysy says.. “It was really hard to get a job, and it was a rough couple of mon
he skill that has propellelled ob pros- uding
what hellped me decide that I would jo join the arin the army and learn t fly t In 1990, S
s.. I think that was I would
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