he was seven or eight years old. “I loved everything about the show, from the loud noises to all the airplanes and helicopters that were there,” says Olson. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow! People really fly these things as a career!’” From that day for- ward, he says, he was obsessed with finding out more about how airplanes and helicopters fly. As he approached the end of his junior year in high
school, Olson decided he wanted to find a job that com- bined two of his passions: community service and avia- tion. With the aim of pursuing dual career paths as an aircraft maintenance technician and a pilot, he joined the US Army National Guard as a UH-60M Black Hawk heli- copter mechanic. As with most students beginning a career in aviation, finances were one of the first obstacles Olson encoun- tered. “I’m an aspiring pilot and mechanic, and those two fields are very expensive to fund to receive the proper training to become qualified,” he says. Olson learned about HAI and its scholarship program
while attending Idaho State University, and he applied for the association’s Maintenance Technician Certificate Scholarship in October 2021. After learning he had won the scholarship, he quickly made plans to use the mone- tary award to help pay for the remainder of his A&P training, which he plans to complete in the next two years. “This scholarship means a lot to me because the avi- ation industry isn’t cheap, by any means, and every little bit helps,” says Olson. “Sometimes you just need that little bump to help make ends meet, and that’s what this scholarship will do for me.”
Always Bettering Himself Olson says he’s honored to be chosen for a scholarship by an organization such as HAI because he feels it shows that other aviation professionals recognize the hard work he’s put into his career. His advice to new- comers in the industry? Stay focused and give your best at all times. “As long as you always think about the end goal and all the things you can accomplish, there’s no obstacle you can’t overcome,” Olson says. “It’s this mindset that pushes you forward every day. “We have to treat every day like there’s no tomor-
row,” Olson adds. “That means you must get up and bet- ter yourself today because it’s all you have. Nothing is guaranteed.”
Olson can already see his hard work paying off and
says his experience with HAI will benefit him for the rest of his life. In addition to the financial aid the scholarship
SEPTEMBER 2022 ROTOR 61
provided, Olson will get a complimentary show-floor pass to HAI HELI-EXPO 2023. “Going to Expo is so important, because it gives me
the chance to meet new people in the industry, make connections, learn about aviation, and make myself bet- ter with the knowledge I receive,” says Olson. “To me, that’s priceless. If I hadn’t won the scholarship, I wouldn’t have gotten this opportunity that will help guide me in my career going forward.” A big fan of engineer, pilot, entrepreneur, and
YouTuber Mike Patey, Olson says every pilot should learn as much as possible from seasoned aviators, even those they’ve never met. Everyone has a story and experiences that can help you along the way, he says. “I haven’t met Mike yet, but I’ve been watching his
videos for years, and he’s so incredibly knowledgeable,” says Olson. “He uses his abilities, resources, and knowl- edge to help other people. Not only that, but he has a blast doing it. You can tell he has a sincere passion for what he does, and that’s inspiring to me.” Olson gives a lot of credit to the pilots and mechanics in his unit, as well as his CFIs, because they’ve helped advance his career and have gotten him through some tough times. “They’ve taken the time to teach me what they know
to make me a better pilot, crew chief, and mechanic. I can never thank them enough.”
HEAR
from Blake Olson What Winning an HAI
Scholarship Has Meant to Him
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