High Altitude Helicopter Pilot Training: A US Marine Veteran’s Perspective

“My entire life I have been interested in aviation.  After serving eight years in the US Marines, my dream of flight became a reality when I was able to use my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to become a professional helicopter pilot at Guidance Aviation.
But, I didn’t start with helicopters.  At first, I began flying airplanes and noticed that the higher in altitude I flew, the less interesting flying became.  It seemed like the airplane was flying itself.  I wanted a bigger challenge and I wanted to fly at lower altitudes.  I looked into flying helicopters and realized that the challenges of flying helicopters were more demanding and the job market for helicopters was more promising than that of airplanes.  
I found Guidance Aviation on the web while conducting my research for a flight school.  I chose Guidance Aviation for two reasons:

Nick Monroe
Flight Student, Guidance Aviation
Veteran, US Marines
  1. I could use my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits at Guidance through its partnership with Yavapai College.
  2. The high-altitude base of operations at Guidance.  Flying at a high density altitude (DA) is more challenging, allowing me to easily transition to low DA locations.  Logging high DA time at Guidance gives me an edge with jobs found in high DA environments.
My dream job as a helicopter pilot would be to work with the Border Patrol flying their Blackhawks.  It would be a dream to fly such an amazing piece of equipment while protecting our country’s borders and restricting drug flow into the country.”

-Nick Monroe

Related Links:
Guidance Aviation Careers & Testimonials
Yavapai College, Professional Helicopter Pilot Program, AAS Degree
Military Emphasizes High Altitude Performance
High Altitude Flight Training Prepares Guidance Aviation Graduates for Real World
Veterans Helping Veterans Use Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits for Helicopter Flight Training

Related Pictures:

Sikorsky Blackhawk


Guidance Aviation provides high altitude helicopter and fixed wing flight training utilizing the newest aircraft and best equipment available. For more information, go to http://www.guidance.aero or http://www.guidancehelicopters.com