FLIGHT PATH QUICK FACTS


Sarah Devika Green Oceanside, California, USA


CURRENT JOB CFI at California Aviation Services


FIRST AVIATION JOB


I just started my first job as a flight instructor a few months ago!


FAVORITE HELICOPTER Bell UH-1 Huey


Your current position? I am a CFI at California Aviation Services in Riverside, California. I teach international and domestic students the majority of the time.


How did you decide helicopter aviation was the career for you? From the moment I realized what a helicopter was capable of doing compared to a plane, I was hooked. I was fascinated by people who could fly with such effortless finesse. After my private pilot checkride, I knew I wanted to become a professional pilot.


What excites you about helicopter aviation? I just love learning new skills and meeting new people. I especially love the times I get to fly with experienced pilots who have seen a few summers. I try and take in all the real-world advice they offer.


How did you get to where you are now? A lot of hard work, humility, and inner motiva- tion. You have to surround yourself with like- minded people who are going after their goals full force, even if their goals don’t involve aviation.


What are your career goals? Right now I want to become the very best instructor possible. I really enjoy helping peo- ple learn and seeing the joy someone has when they master a new skill. I have a few huge career goals such as becoming a Robinson pilot, working for the fire depart- ment, and one day flying for Red Bull like Chuck Aaron.


What advice would you give to someone pursuing your career path? I would say keep a humble attitude and be prepared to work hard. You have to look ahead into the future at the person you’re trying to become, and say to yourself, “What do I have to change now to become that version of myself?” Like Thomas Jefferson said, “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.”


What do you think is the biggest threat to the helicopter industry? I think a lot of flight instructors are so focused on getting to the next level and building time that they lose empathy for their students and the quality of their instruction suffers.


Complete this sentence: I know I picked the right career when … … I leave work with a sense of pride and satis- faction that can’t be found in anything else I’ve accomplished.


From the moment I realized what a


helicopter was capable of doing, I was hooked.


WINTER 2019 ROTOR 65


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