FUTURE FACES By Allison McKay


“Don’t Let Anything Get in Your Way” H


ELICOPTER FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAl (HFI)


scholarship winner Cory Oestreich’s desire to be in aviation started at a young age. Fascinated by the televi- sion show M*A*S*H, he loved to watch the helicopters.


“If aviation is what you want, just dive in headfirst and go for it.”


As he grew older, that interest caused him to pursue a career in avi- ation. After Oestreich graduated high school, he attended a fixed-wing


flight training program for two years at the University of Minnesota Crookston. Realizing that his passion was for


aviation maintenance, he transferred his credits to a two-year aviation maintenance technology (AMT) pro- gram at the Helena College University of Montana. He gradu- ated in December 2017 with an Associate’s in Applied Science degree in AMT. Oestreich participated in a couple of helicopter discovery flights and logged some flight hours with Hillsboro Aviation in Oregon. This led to a job with the US Forest Service


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64 ROTOR SPRING 2019


helitack crew, Central Montana Helitack. He was a wildland fire- fighter as well as a helicopter crew member. Being in this position helped him make connections and build his network with a variety of helicopter companies. Realizing the importance of con- tinuing his training, Oestreich applied for and won the HFI Bill Sanderson AMT Scholarship. He used his schol- arship to attend the Safran Arriel 2B/2B1 and 2D turboshaft engine maintenance course. He is looking forward to continu- ing his training and plans to obtain his second-line maintenance qualifi- cation through Safran, as well as attend Airbus Helicopters factory training. Oestreich’s ultimate goal is to work for a helicopter air ambu- lance company. When asked about his advice to those still working on their certifica- tion, he says, “Maintain an open mind first and foremost, and net- work whenever possible! Be willing to take less desirable jobs to eventu- ally work your way up. Lastly, if avia- tion is what you want, just dive in headfirst and go for it. Don’t let any- thing get in your way.”


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