Episode 429: Introducing Brand New H.O.G.S. Instructor- CFI Hunter Gambill

All right, here we go.

In 3, 2, 1.

So down, right aft, raise, catch at RPMs.

There you go. Good. Nice smooth entry. Collective up. There you go, catch it. Nice. Good catch.

So air speeds look good. RPMs are looking good. Spots in there. We're in trim. Beautiful.

Looking good.

So we get about tree top level. We're going to start with gentle flare. A little bit of flare, a little bit of more flare as we roll in. RPMs hold it, let it start to settle and then reverse everything. So left pedal forward. Cycling looks good. I liked it.

We are all sitting here with our HOGS logo, our polo with the logo, all three of us because we wanted to introduce Hunter Gamble. This was Chris Hauser's idea. So Chris, jump in and tell us what was your idea for this week to do with Hunter?

Well, Hunter and I have been flying together over a year. Right.

I think over two years now.

Over two years I've been helping Hunter with his ratings. I think he got his private with someone else and then he needed the five hours of instrument time for commercial. So I came in on that and then I helped out on doing commercial and then we worked on CFI and now we're getting ready to start working on. We've done a little bit of instrument stuff but now we're really starting to get into it. But anyway, as you may know that I guess I'm the primary instructor here.

Yeah. But trying to think we need to come up with a title for you.

I don't need a title.

Pilot.

I don't need a pilot. So I've been helping Kenny out for. Well, most people probably already know the story. Kenny was my primary for private commercial CFI way back before HOGS existed.

Right? Yes. Before Fort Wayne helicopters. Right. You trained with me and helped me before hogs.

Yes, yes. So anyway, so I've just kind of stuck around and then HOGS launched and I've kind of been in the picture a little bit helping out and here lately, last couple years we've. He's been really booming with it and so I've been doing the instruction side of it now since we've got a 22 and a 44 here, I think we're just going to get busier. However, I do have a full time job that is some somewhat unpredictable. I have flown with Hunter. I know how Hunter flies. He's been here been a member of Hogs for.

Since I January of 22.

So over two years. Three years.

Yep.

Three years.

Three years. So you know how Hunter flies. Obviously you taught me and. And my teachings have moved on to him. He is. He is. Hunter is where I was what, 15 years ago, something like that.

Exactly 12 years ago.

Hunter.

I'll let Hunter tell his story here in a few. But basically law enforcement, current law enforcement, which I was, Wants to fly, which is what I want or did want. I think he's starting to be on the downs. I don't want to say too much being negative, but he wants to get out of law enforcement to have a full time flying career. We'll leave it at that. I can say that I absolutely hated being a cop my last five years and I needed to get out and I wanted to fly. I mentioned to Kenny a few days ago, I said, hey, we need to have a backup instructor here for when my job gets busy and I can't be around. And you got customers here. So, you know, what do you think about Hunter? And Kenny's like, that's a great idea. Let's get him up here. So we brought Hunter up today. Just do a little flying just to kind of get him on camera, introduce himself because his name's been mentioned. Mentioned his name a few times.

A few times.

He's popping up on our social media. Yes, he's. He's on the Hogs wall of fame. He's a Hog super fan. Because we might do a post on social media and there's Terry Welker and Hunter Gamble and Terry Welker's the guy that helped me start shooting video. 15 years or more. Well, when you and I did rides at Warsaw Fair, Terry was there filming. Yeah, before Hogs waiting for. And I may only have two likes on something. It's Terry Welker and Hunter Gamble. That might be the only two. So first off, he's a super fan because he's always there on social media, like in everything we do. Commenting. Before coming up here and doing your commercial final approach course with us, you did certified flight instructor approach course with us. You did time builder courses last summer in the R44. And we together with the crew went to Chicago at least once.

Yeah, we went with them with both extra twice. And then one time me and you went up and it was a blast. So I bought a second time.

And so we went to Chicago twice.

Yep.

Because you were so enthralled that first time you were going, we're flying over there in the daylight. And when you're seeing the Chicago skyline and you're seeing Lake Michigan. I can't remember your exact terminology, but it was something in the lines of I can't even fucking believe I'm doing this. Like, it was awesome. You just were so, just. And it is. I mean, Chicago skyline is unbelievable. And then when you see it from a helicopter the whole flight, you just wouldn't stop. You're just like.

It was just so surreal. It was the first time, I think that I've got to go out and just fly somewhere and get out of the training environment. I think I just completed my commercial checkride maybe a couple weeks earlier or prior. And it was nice. Just like, yeah, all this work's really paying off. This is why you work hard and put your time in and earn your ratings to get out and do the fun stuff.

Yep. So we've had all that experience with you already. So I already knew how well you flew. The first time we went to Chicago and back. Like, you were. I was just riding along. You bought the time builder. And I'm like, hey, I'll go with you just for fun. Because we like to go over and eat at Lansing, Illinois. We land, get something to eat, get some fuel, go downtown Chicago. But I knew you were, from the get go, good in the aircraft. You did every single thing that was doing. You were doing everything. The navigating, the flying. I could just sit back and as much as you were having fun, you were still communicating, navigating, doing everything you need to do in the helicopter. So I knew how comfortable you were have you. And I went out and done like around the pattern training environment doing stuff.

We did a couple things. I think it came up after my second time builder. And then we just started introducing me into some like, CFI stuff like flying from the left seat and really honing in on like the pickups and set downs, canceling out the movement. And I did this, introduced me to the square pattern where you do the four corners and.

Yes. And the other thing that impressed me with you was, you know, Hunter came here to do training with us and he has a notebook and. And Houser did the same thing, create his own notebook back in the day, which is what I did. Hauser's got a great big nice notebook. And you built the same thing. And you showed me your notebook and I'm like. And you go, you go, oh, yeah, I've been watching the Hogs videos and I, I download everything and I take notes from your videos. And when you open that thing up, I'm like, oh, my God, I should probably buy that from you. I should buy a copy of that. Your notebook is unbelievable. So, you know, training with Hauser Hauser helping you get through the ratings and using hogs. And you being here, we already knew you were kind of like, we'd kind of been in the plan for a while to bring you in now that you did your R22 instructor sign off with R22 R44, you had used another aircraft, but that doesn't matter.

The same examiner.

Same examiner. So you went to that examiner. So you got your CFI done, you got your R44 endorsement first. Then you went and built your R22 time, got your R22 endorsement. So when Hauser said, let's get, let's get Hunter up here, spring is coming, the weather's getting better. We've got R22, R44, we got time builders, we got FACS, we now got advanced rotation courses. So yes, when Hauser said, let's get Hunter up here, I said, you know what, let's do that. Right now is a good time. Chris mentioned, you know, we're both ex law enforcement. You're current law enforcement. And I remember telling Chris the same thing when he was at your stage. Like, Chris is like, gotta hit my job, I just want to fly. No, he's like, well, don't leave yet. Right? Hang on to your job a little longer. And I've told you the same thing.

Yes.

Because we both got started about our 30ish-30s, right?

Flying.

Flying, yeah.

I started when I 30. I was 30.

And you started at what age? Do you mind sharing?

25.

25. And you're now how old?

28.

28. So we're going. You're still starting before us.

So you're a CFI and can instruct in a 44 and 22 before I even start flying. So you're well ahead of the game.

Totally. You're totally set up. Why don't you share with us why did you get started with helicopters? What? Think back and what was your first like, I think I want to do this.

So as a kid, I always was wanting to go in the military kind of wasn't an option. I remember as a kid watching the movie Black Hawk Down. So I wanted was interested in helicopters. August of 2018, I did a ride along with IU Health Lifeline down at the Terre Ho base. And I remember we getting a scene flight that day. I remember riding with one of the pilots that was filling in at that base that day. He was a super nice guy. And we came back and sat on the dolly and I remember him shutting the aircraft down. And I'm like, this is exactly what I want to do for a living. Like this is it. You get to help people, you get to fly an aircraft. But didn't think it was anything that I think I would ever be able to do. So I thought it was something you'd have a college degree to have. And I wasn't interested in going to college. So I kind of just put it to the wayside thinking like, yeah, that's just a dream that's never going to come to life. And a couple years goes down the road as a kid. Like you guys have both explained, I'm current law enforcement, grew up in a law enforcement family. So I thought that's just kind of the footsteps I was going to follow in. But in the back of my mind, I still wanted to always fly helicopters and came across, I think maybe one of your YouTube videos about reaching out, going to a Discovery flight to get your foot in the door. And at the time just wasn't feasible for me to do. Discovery flight ended up losing quite a bit of weight because this was something that I was passionate about and determined about to do. Once I lost the weight, I called up a flight school that I found here in Indiana, went and did this Discovery flight. Kind of hooked ever since. And they put me in contact with you because I there's flying the ground or flying portion and then the ground portion. And the instructor that I was flying with at the time recommended hogs to start my ground studies. And then I was super excited to find out it was here in Warsaw, Indiana. I thought that was cool. Out of all the places in the United States it could have been is in my home state. So I was like, what, what's the chances then meeting you and then getting to meet Chris along the way from flying find out that both of you guys are have been where I've wanted to be to be an EMS pilot. And then I kind of get in the flight with you and flying with Chris. I wanted to mold my flying after you guys because you guys are safe pilots. I flown with several instructors where their teaching style and my learning style don't mesh. I felt like since day one when I first flew with you and flew flew with Chris, that it was just like I've known you guys my entire life. There was no extra stress of being with a different cfi. It's like we were just two friends flying along and I think I just kind of right place, right time and it just mesh well.

So nice starting to tear up over here.

Where.

Where the.

Where are the tissues or am I Blushing.

Well, you know, and it is cool because what I was thinking when you guys were out flying was, I know when I started, the guy that we talked about this earlier, the guy that owned the company had 180 hours, was a private pilot. So there was the other Ken. Him and I did our training together. So we had kind of each other to bounce off of. We had no mentors, we had no other older instructor there to help us. We just new instructors kind of got thrown into the fire and just did what we thought was right. We didn't. They had a chief pilot. He was never there. So it was like I was thinking how I got thrown into it. And with you, you know, we told you earlier, you got us that you can call anytime, text anytime. And I feel good about that, right. That it's just nice when you're starting out as a new instructor to have a couple people on tap to go, hey, run ideas by, hey, come fly with this person. That's nice, right? Like, I'm tooting my own horn. But it's nice for you that you've got us to help you, you know, with any questions you might have. And yesterday we were a couple other guys here that flew in and one was a new cfi and he was telling us that, you know, he had a student that he was unsure about and was, I'm not going to go into details, but by the time he was done, I'm like, oh, boy, you have some problems. And he goes, yeah, I've got another instructor. I'm going to have fly with this dude. And I'm like, perfect, you need to do that. Get another instructor, evaluate this person, and then you guys together decide where to go. But he sounds like he's got a student that's a real problem. And, and so facing those things without somebody to help you out, and that.

Stinks as a new cfi.

Yeah.

Because you deal with that right off the bat.

You're unsure, you know, is it me? Is it the student?

But being a brand new cfi, I'm sure he's already overthinking everything just because, like, you don't. First student.

Exactly.

Well, I say. Well, I say welcome to the team.

I appreciate that.

You're gonna have some fun, you're gonna get some flying in, you're gonna meet a lot of people from all over. You got a nice facility to do it in. You got nice taking care of aircraft to do it in. Can't really beat it.

Really.

I mean, you can't. I mean, where else can you do this.

It's nice. It's an all one stop shop. It's all right here, the ground school, the helicopters, your instructors, it's all right.

Here and you've experienced it. And that's what we say is, you know, people, they go to flight schools, you already know that. You might go to one flight school and it's like the office is over there and the helicopters over there, but you got to go in that little cubicle to go in there to ground and then the maintenance is done somewhere else and the logbooks are always at maintenance and. And then you got to travel to wherever for an examiner. And here, like here's our couches where we're doing ground, right there's the R22 and or R44. Right over there's our logbooks, there's our oil, there's our paper towels. Examiner most of the time comes here because we usually do check to check rights at once. So we're doing two, he'll come over here. So when you're doing your check ride, this is where you've been doing ground school. And so you know where everything is. Everything is in the same place the night before we lay everything out and then you want to share where you stayed the night before your last check ride.

My last check ride, it was in November when I was getting ready for my CFI and this couch looked pretty comfy, so I slept here on the couch, stayed the night here, stayed right here, had all my stuff. There was no rush, there's no hurry when I left.

We had everything laid out. All you had, just kick back, take a nap. We got a shower over there.

Yep, I got that morning, got a shower, got ready for a check, right. I was here to have to worry about beating traffic, just looking up, getting up, looking at the weather.

I mean, so, right. So we, we've proved that it's, you know, it just when I put it together, I remember we first put it together down there. But when the first that we got the R44 and we put the wall up and I was kind of putting everything where I wanted and I thought I wasn't doing it, it was just all sudden. I had this, wow, this is what I've kind of always wanted, right? Like because of my experiences of everything always being so strung out everywhere, to have everything in one place, nice, neat, organized, well maintained equipment. Examiner that we've been using forever on tap. It's a phone call or quick test text, hey, examiner, can you do this? You know, such and such next month on this day, whatever the case is. So. Well, we're celebrating 13 years online. We got a special going right now for 50 off our courses and something special with we just got in is. Well we got a shipment of these coming by the way. So if you do pro pilot now or anytime in the future, you get your choice of one of these. This is badass knee boards and that's the name of them. His that website is Badass kneeboards. I buy these and we these are giveaways. Just so you know, I have no paid endorsements of any kind. Everything we give away I buy. I'm endorsed for no one know how. And so when you Joan sign up for pro pilot. Hauser got his hat today.

I did.

Hunter already had one because Hunter, yep super fan. He's got everything under the sun that hogs has. And today he got the polo with a little logo. And those are brand new. I just got those yesterday. We've never had those before. So for propilot you get either that the knee board or you get a hat or. I've been carrying this now we figured about a year and a half. I carry this every single day. This goes home with me and this comes back. I carry my computer, you know, all my day to day items that I need as things traveled with me around the country. So you can get a hogs backpack as well for a pro pilot. So that's happening now 50% off anything because 13 years online we're pretty excited and we've got some work for you already because we've got a gentleman coming that's going to do initial private in April. So we're going to try to have you come the first weekend he comes. He's going to come for a pre weekend thing. So we're going to have you come then. And then Chris and I are doing a check ride for a guy in April. That's initial cfi. But he's going to bring his son for four days the end of the month and they're gonna fly the R44. So we're gonna have you come those days just to get to jump in and be a part of and jump in and help do a little bit of flying and be around the checkride preparation scenario because you've been on that side of the couch prepping. Now you can be on the other side of the couch helping prep these other guys. And that's a good way for us to get you into the groove. As Chris said, sometimes we just need an extra hand and all of a sudden we're like, you know what? Before we get too busy, let's get you in here and get you up to speed. And oh, by the way, the R44 is in maintenance getting the annual done. We're going to hear any day now. So within the next two days, we should be going to pick up the R44. I'll be back in here, parked by the R22.

Hunter and I. Hunter and I went and flew in the 22. We set up some cameras. We just did. We just went out there and just kind of messed around. There was really no game plan. Just kind of do some maneuvers, put Hunter in the. In the left seat as the instructor, let him get more familiar, talking, doing the. Doing the maneuvers, talking how to do them, this and that. We've got some video of the panel, some outside shots, just basically to get him, you know, just kind of getting. Getting him going, getting him warmed up, I guess, if you want to say that, because we are going to start utilizing him and we wanted to introduce the world, I guess basically this is part of this, for this interview and then the flying. So we just went out and kind of did some maneuvers, just kind of messed around and shot some footage. Hopefully.

It turns out we kind of touched on this in today's video since we've been sitting here. But starting out as an instructor, right, we know that. I remember when you get to cfi, you just feel like, I got a cfi, but I don't know what in the hell I'm doing. And I got just thrown in. It's like you get your student, you go out and you just go, okay. So for people that are getting started, no, we all feel the same way, right? Like, when you first get that cfi, you just feel kind of like, I got a cfi, but I don't know what in the hell I'm doing right now. And that is why we wanted to give you a chance to get up here and start doing some stuff. Because the only way you can get started is get out there and do it and just get started. So if you feel funny because you're a new CFI and you haven't got your first job yet, just keep trying, get there and just get started. Do you remember, Chris, when you first started? Like, how did you feel when you first went out?

Well, when I first started flying helicopters, when I got through the commercial, whatever, I had no desire to do instruction because I just didn't really felt like I knew what I was. Well, I knew what I was doing. I knew how to fly for me, but to actually teach someone how to, you know, do it or even learn aerodynamics and that, I just. I just like, well, there's no way. Well, then as you fly more and more, you start to learn more, and then you read more, and then you watch more videos and you do. You just start to, you know, learn things or keep or retain it, I guess. So, yes, I eventually got my instructor endorsement, but what's. I don't want to say it's funny or ironic, but you failed your first checkride.

Yes, I did. Failed my private.

Well, my very first student failed his checkride.

Yep. Which is common.

Now, I'm not going to go into that. There were some other circumstances that surrounded that, but just know that it's. It's a learning process. You're still learning, right? It's gonna be a learning process. You're gonna. The things that you do with student number one, I guarantee you will not do with student number 25, because you're gonna learn things. You're gonna know how to do it better or how to explain it better or whatever. So it's gonna be a continuous learning process for you. And I'm still learning. You know, I mean, we were talking about instrument stuff earlier, and I'm like, you know, there was a time where I never thought I would want to do instruments, and now I actually kind of enjoy it. But it doesn't mean I understand, you know, but, you know, especially when you're teaching airline guys who have, you know, 5,000 hours of true instrument time, and here you are. At the time when I first got it, I had, like. All I had was simulated, you know, so whatever, that's time for another story.

But this.

But, you know, it's. It's gonna be a process, and you're gonna learn. You're gonna get your groove, you're gonna, you know, figure out what, work your binder. I mean, I. Every time I went to a student, I had my binder with me, and I covered what I needed to cover and. And looked at notes and whatever. So you're going to be fine. You're going to find it. Trust me.

All right. And lastly, cops and helicopters. It's. It's funny, we've discussed this many times over the years. How. What is it that. Why is it cops are, I don't know, pulled helicopters? Do you. How many times have you seen them land when you're, like, when you were working, go out? You probably see them a lot, right?

Yep.

And how many times have you, like, purposely blasted to the scene because you were going to see the helicopter land.

Yes, I've done it many times. So I know we get a crash and there'd be like I know a helicopter's coming. Like I got to get down there. I want. I want to see the helicopter.

Well, former cop, former EMS. Former cop. Former EMS.

Yep.

Current cop. Want to be Ms. Yep.

Yes.

And someday 20 years from now, it'll be former cop, former EMS and whatever the next.

Maybe I'll teach a cop one day. It's going to be ems.

Exactly. And I've told Hunter the thing that I think is important. It's okay if your dream changes.

Yes.

And absolutely. And shoot for the EMS dream and go do it. But don't feel bad if you. You might take it. You might go. You might be. You know what I want to go do? I want to go do that cool flying along the power line cutting tree thing. You don't know and just shoot for your dream. But you never know where the path may take you.

Yes. And I got to remember to be open minded and not just tunnel vision. Focus on an opportunity presents itself. It's okay.

But absolutely. Well, thanks for coming up. And you all see more Hunter come in the future. Thanks for having me. Even have to get him in front of the camera, do some ground subjects if he's interested.

Absolutely.

Especially since you're going to be working on your instrument stuff maybe. Yes. Because you. Are you gonna get your double eye?

Yeah, I was gonna talk to him about that actually. I'm like if I already got my CFI and I'm gonna take the instrument test, why it's fresh in my memory.

I might as well do it then. Yes, do it.

Wait a couple years and like man, I wish I was then.

You'll never do it.

Yes.

You'll never do it if you don't do it when you do the instrument.

Yep. So I would not want to go back and take an instrument written test right now. I can tell you that right now.

I'm in the shoes right now. Studying.

It's when you feel the pressure to fly but know the right decision is to stay on the ground, hit the hogs and live to fly another day.

Helicopterground.com we hit record and I'll go. So. It's annoying. It's so annoying. It is so.