New Helicopter EMS Pilot & The NO GO Decision

Nope, we are live and hopefully we have a good stream. We've got some big news to bring you that we have been hinting for a couple weeks. Real quick. We had 50 days of the hogs daily flight brief that has come to an end and I didn't tell anybody why. I started it with Chris Hauser and driving up here one day, we're gonna go do some flying. I said, hey, let's do a video every day for a couple weeks. Ended up going for 50 days where we talked about all kinds of stuff. And I said, it started with Chris Hauser, we'll end with Chris Hauser. And it ended because of a job that he's going to tell you about here in just a minute is why it ended. He had to be gone for some training and interviewing and that kind of thing. So I said, you're not available to fly with me. We're done with the Hogs daily flight brief because you've been in every video. So I want to give him a little bit of advice that he's already heard a million times, but I'm going to share it with all of you. When I was flying EMS for five years, I flew with a Vietnam era pilot. And I learned a lot from this Vietnam era pilot. And one of the coolest things I learned is he had one of these. And when you would make a weather decision on an EMS flight, he would say, you know, let's say that the weather was. It wasn't good enough to go fly and feel like you're going to be safe. He would turn down the call with dispatch and then he would go, that was easy. He'd hit the easy button. And the cool thing was it helped you take a little bit of the pressure off by because you, you know, people want to go. There's all kinds of pressures, internal, external, external that can come from anywhere. And that's why we created the Hogs no go button that we now send to our members when they pass their check ride. Because helicopter laying, ground skill, we want to put our mark. Well, I'd rather say our scar on the helicopter flight training world. There's all these things flying around, but more ifr, more equipment than a helicopter, more terrain awareness, and all that stuff is great. We're talking about the Kobe accident. And this is the thing about it is why aren't we preaching more no go? We're preaching more equipment, more training. And like I said, that's all great, but we should be harping on the no go make those decisions. When the weather's iffy to not eat, even go. So we created this. Our members get these when they pass their check ride. Oh, it's not on when they pass their check ride. Helicopterground.com so there we go with the no go button. Chris already knows my stories but he got a new job. He's going to be going into EMS and today I wanted to talk about that and just give him that little bit of advice. He's heard me tell him these stories before but I when I first started as an EMS pilot, let me tell you this. Within the first six months I made a decision one night to get back home when the thunderstorm had passed the crew actually had to go by ground but then we had like three miles and a thousand at night where I was at and where I was going to go home. About an hour away it was from Peru to Fort Wayne. In between there was this low hanging stuff that I flew through. No crew on board, scared me to death. And all I could think of as a new EMS helicopter pilot was all the training I went through about making good decisions. And I was scud running through the bottom of that stuff chicken to land in the middle of a field in the middle of nowhere because I was a brand new pilot and when I got back home I said I will never do that again. So I had my one scare. Okay. Off the subject. I just, you know, that's what I've been prepping Chris for. So Chris, what do you want to share with us about the job that you got? The reason hogs daily flight brief came to an end.

What do I want to share? Nothing. Yeah.

Oh come on. Liar. No.

Well, yeah, so yeah, you mentioned it. Bottom well, we all know that I've been working for Sweet aviation as a full time flight instructor and working part time for suite helicopters as a charter pilot. They decided that they wanted to change my income which kind of pushed me in the direction of looking for a different job due to family reasons and all that. I wanted to you know, kind of stay around in the area. So I wasn't really, I didn't really want to look for a job yet but they kind of pushed me in that direction. So in the long run, yes, I applied for of a couple positions and a company hooked me up. So I am gonna be flying full time for EMS soon.

Tell them about how many years you've been working towards the professional pilot job that you're going into now. You, you've had jobs but they've all been teaching. Yeah, maybe some 135 charter stuff. But this will be your first turbine aircraft full time, paid to transport people from point A to point B. So you're, this is your first.

Right. You know, so I've been flying since 2008. I got my airplane rating and then a year later, 2009 I transitioned in helicopters and ever since then been flying mainly helicopters. So 2009 till now, what is that, 12 years? Something like that, if I do the math right. So. But I was working as a full time law enforcement officer. I was a police officer, so I wasn't really looking for that job yet. But I didn't have the time either. You know, I was building the time as I was working as a, as a police officer. And then a couple years ago, an opportunity came open to fly with sweet aviation full time. And that's, that's where I went. So my, I guess the route is a little different for me because I wasn't really busing my, my butt from the beginning to get hours so I could get into a full time flying job. So it's been a little bit longer of a road. But you did struggle through those years.

Going, do I stay at my full time job? Oh yeah, there were, wait till retirement, but. So you fly on your days off work, struggling with that decision?

Yes.

And we're all going, keep your full time job, you can retire, don't go yet. But what a struggle to that decision. Do I venture out to full time into the world?

I knew in the beginning it was, you know, the choice was easy to sit there and continue on with the law enforcement career. But as time went on and as I built more hours, it got harder and harder to try to stick it out because I needed 20 years for this police department to be vested in my pension. So as each year went by and I had more hours, it got harder and harder. And I do remember those conversations of, you know, just stay, you know, you got plenty of time, you can retire and then move on. And I'm like, oh yeah, I remember all those times. But as I said, it got to the point there toward the end that I just, it was time to leave law enforcement. And you know how that is. You were there.

Yeah, so the same thing. I did the same thing.

But so again my road is a little bit different. But, but yeah, you're right, most of the job, the flying jobs that I've had up to this point have really just been instructing, you know, a few rides here at fairs, a few things, you know, photography flights, that kind of stuff here and there Started working for Sweet Helicopters a couple years ago doing some charter, but even that was just part time, you know. So yes, this will actually be the first full time flying turbines, flying patience. This will be like my true full time gig. So yeah, looking forward to it.

Talk about everybody says how do I get the turbine time right? And that is always the struggle. And I was lucky to get a job at a busy flight school to let me go along in a jet Ranger. And before we knew it, I had 80 hours of dueling the Jet Ranger with the female pilot. And then she got pregnant and she had to take off work. And they said, hey, you got 80 hours in Jet Ranger, do you wanna. And, and that's how I got my start. And when I got into EMS, I only had 300, 350 hours of turbine. And they said, well, we like to hire a guy with a thousands. And I go, well, 350 is all I got. And that was hard to get.

Right.

Right. And then I got hired. So you dealt with kind of the same thing with that turbine thing, right? So I kept telling him, he kept getting turned down applying. I go keep applying because many times they'll say they have to, you have to have this many turbine hours. But if they really, if they want to, some of these companies can waive those turbine hour requirements and give you a job. And that's exactly what happened with you, however much you want to talk about that. But you and I know that you pushed hard.

So yeah, so that's, you know, most of the helicopter jobs, you know, they want the 1500-2000 hours total time, whatever. I've had that for a while now. It's always been the turbine time persistent. And that's exactly what my recruiter told me. With this. I don't want to get into exact specifics, but let's just say that I applied for this company, oh, I don't know, three, four times probably, right. Knowing repeatedly, every time a job that came that was, that posted that was close to my area because again, I've got family here and I don't want to get too far from them. But every time a job that was close to this area came up, I put in for it. Whether I had the hours or not, I put in for it. And I'll tell you, this recruiter, in the end he, he said, hey, you've kept at it. I've seen that. Actually one of his emails said, well, I see you've applied again. It was what is what his email said? I said, damn right. I did. I was like, I want to show that I want this job. And in the end, that's what happened. And I can tell you he, the last time I talked to him, he actually used me as an example for his own daughter that's just getting out of college and she's a applying for jobs. And he's like, hey, I just hired a pilot that he kept at it. And that's what you need to do. Just keep applying for those jobs. You may not be the, the most knowledgeable, you may not have the most experience, but you kept at it. And that's, that's where I'm at.

So that's why I tell people all the time. And if you've watched our videos any length of time, I like to argue when somebody says, oh, don't go the helicopter pilot route because you can't get a job. And I always argue and say, yes, you can get a job, but you can't just throw out some apps and expect to get hired. You have to sell yourself. You got to be persistent. And that's why I wanted Kris to talk about that today, because that's what he did. And they told him there's people that applied with more experience than you, but because of your persistence, we want to hire you. And it worked out. Yeah. And you got hired relatively close to about the same amount of turbine time somewhere in the vicinity. So the company I worked for did the exact same thing, the company that you worked for. And I was, I was pushing him the last couple months before this transpired and said, hey, you know, dude, it's time. It's time for you to, it's time for you to turn that chapter in your life. And I know it's, you don't want to be away from home, but that's part of it. A lot of times to advance your career, you got to make that move. But at least the job you finally got is fairly close. And they looked at that too. They're like, well, we bring some other guy in with more experience, he's going to get the next level. And then he's gone where. You being an Indiana guy, we're probably going to be able to hang on to you longer than the guy who comes in from somewhere else. So it's just, it's persistence and that's how you make it in this industry like you do with anything else in life. Right. You don't just get it by being half assed. You got to go for it. You got to sell yourself and you got to be persistent. And you got to show people you want to work.

And I think, yeah, you got to work at it. Talking about the turbine time, I remember the first handful of hours of turbine time I paid for. That's just something because I wanted that experience. I wanted that in my book. I wanted to. That's just the way I started, I guess. But because of that, that led into other opportunities. So I mean, like here in Goshen, I bought EC120 time. I bought like four or five hours with Randy, our DPE and you know, and I, I flew those. And what'd that turn into? You know, you know, maybe a couple months later he'd call me and say, hey, I got a flight to wherever you want to go. Just, you know, just because you sure. Heck yeah. So it turns into other things. So yes, it seems expensive at the time or, you know, hard at the time, but do it. I mean, and then those opportunities lead into other things.

Yep. All relates to here all those years ago when I met Randy and he was an instrument dealer and I was only working for my private. But I bought five hours of instrument time, thought I was going to teach here. And then it didn't work out. But then it panned out years later, like, oh, you got five hours of time when you instructor. Come on. Right, right. So those little experiences you get, you don't know how they're going to pay off for you in the future, but they can. So getting time in different aircraft and we always just do be politically correct. What I used to, what we all called you about, throw it out there, helicopter whore. He would go anywhere in a four state area to fly. Any chance he would get to fly with a different helicopter, a different turbine helicopter. And he would spend the money to like, you know what? I'm going to spend the money to go fly that helicopter because I want to get that time under my belt. So you've got a lot of different helicopters under your belt because of being persistent, taking those opportunities to go fly in different other aircraft and meet new people and learn in different places. Yeah.

And it just goes back to how bad you want it.

Exactly.

I think I wanted to MD times. One time I drove four hours, four and a half hours, one way to get an hour, hour and a half of MD time. And then I drove four and a half hours home.

Right.

But that's something I wanted to do and that's something that, you know, I got my logbook. Another aircraft with experience.

So yeah, we are going to present Hauser with the new Hogsball cap as a congratulations of his new job.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We're also gonna present him. You gonna make up the hog suit?

My hair?

Yep. You gotta wear it for us. Gonna give him a new hog Sooty. He's got one we made years ago. That's a different mate. But you're the only one that has one. You're the first one that ever got the hoodie. Really? You were the first one to ever get a hogs hoodie.

Well that's how I roll.

And. And I gotta give him something else too. And gonna give him his own no go button. And he even said I'm gonna take this with me to the EMS base. And I have to mention that I'm happy to hear. For those of you that are chasing the CMS dream one thing that's gonna I think is gonna work out well for Chris. And I was concerned about this before. Let's. Let's go ahead and be transparent here. We both get ourselves in trouble because we're not afraid to say what's on our mind.

What me, my best friend's watching this. He's probably going yep, that's how they're just.

And we're not scared to say what we think and we're not scared to say or care who hears it. And I told Kristen he liked this. I said I'll screw myself over principle every time for sticking up with what's right. I can screw myself over a job and I have. And so it happens. Right? It happens. And I was concerned that going into EMS Chris would. My hat might have a problem. I shouldn't say that. I'm just saying because of we're alike and I had the same problem. Right.

But there's good news personalities and we just let it. Right.

There's good news to this. One of my first instructors which we might get to this part of the story too. He met my. One of my original instructors that helped me for my private years ago now flies for the same company he's going to be flying for. And when I was in EMS I was at a hospital based program. And so I talked to my buddy one time and he was at a standalone operation and he said Kenny if you were at a standalone base like I'm at you wouldn't be dealing with the problems that you have. And that was because it's just different environment when you're a working for a company that's providing a hospital. The helicopter and the pilots and the mechanics but you don't work for the hospital so you know, in my two cases, both places I worked had male nurses as the lead program in charge of the helicopters, but not a pilot. So you could kind of see where that might go wrong. Well, I give you an example. One time we had a, we got, I turned on a flight and we got a call from a hospital, said, well, the doctor here is a private pilot airplane. And he said, you guys could have flown, come on. Okay. Yeah, that's the kind of stuff that goes on. Right. So my buddy said, kenny, if you were at a standalone base, you wouldn't have this problem. So I was happy to hear when he was close to getting this job that he was pretty sure it was a standalone base. And I go, okay, now I'm going to tell you about what I was worried about. So I hope you really are going to standalone base. And he's pretty sure that's where he's going now. So I'm not saying you can't have a good experience at a hospital based program because I'm sure there are plenty of places that are great. But if you have an outspoken attitude and you're afraid to. Not afraid to say what's on your mind and I may just have to.

Bite my lip a little every once in a while, which I haven't quite learned that yet. But you know. Oh, well, but on a different note. Yes, on a different note, let's just say want to say thank you because you were at the beginning of the journey.

Yeah.

As my primary. My what? Private commercial instructor. And then when I went on and had to do double I and or instrument and double I somewhere else. But yeah, you're just one of many that have helped along this way. You know, Randy Sweet aviation, sweet helicopters and all the instructors that I've flown with, it's been a long time coming and you know, we kept it quiet for a little bit because of, there was a couple hurdles there that I needed to make sure that I got over and those are behind me now. And you know, they were in the final stages. So I, thanks for the help, thanks for the gear and yeah, I'm going to take that no go button and take it to the base and well, sit there.

It's fun too because when you, you were working for the police department, I was flying EMS when I met him. He shows up at the EMS base. I'm at work one night flying the EC135. He comes rolling up in the police car and on the ramp talking about helicopters. And he had just started training and he, the Helicopter that the guy had that he was training with went down for some maintenance. So he came to see me just like, well, hey, I'm not going to go away from my other instructor, but I heard you got one and I thought maybe I'd do some lessons and. And then we became friends and so he's. What's cool is he's about the same amount of hours I had, same age where I was at when I got my start in ems. You're right, very close. Very close. So it is a fun part of the story because yeah, you came by around 2009 or whatever and then we started working on your ratings, did your private commercial CFI like you mentioned earlier. You know, we got Jed out there who I trained from the beginning. Amazing story. Flying the salt, the tree saw pilot. We got a bunch of hogs members that, you know, started with us nine years ago and are now out flying EMS and doing other things. We have so many members. I mean, Chris asked me how many there were that started students and we're out in the world now and I'm like, man, I don't even know. Right?

Yeah, but how many, how many did you personally train? Do you know?

Quite a few. I mean, I have to really sit here and think about it, but it's such a, it's a fun part to be a part of somebody else's dream and watch them go through it. And it was fun the last month or two kind of seeing him go through the process and I tried being supportive and going, hey dude, it's time. It's just go for it. You have the opportunity, just do it. Change that or turn that page, move the chapter.

Well, it's like my mom said and others say, you know, when one door closes, another one opens and that's exactly what happened. And you know, I don't, I think I talked to you maybe the day of when that, when the news was broke to me that they were, they were changing my, my salary position and I was like, man, what am I, what the hell am I going to do? Here I am a 42 year old with a house payment, a car payment, child support, and you're going to only pay me, you know, whatever. I was like, well, this isn't going to work. So I started the hunt on that day and you know, it's amazing, the roller coaster, you know, that, you know, everybody goes through but you know, the roller coaster, the ups and downs that I had with, you know, here I was on a high and then you're telling me that you're not going to pay me what I used to be making anymore. So now here I'm on the low to like, what the hell am I going to do? So I start applying and, and ironically, I actually had. I think I said this earlier, but I had two offers. I actually had two different job offers.

Yeah, he had two. He had one. So he had one. And then right after the first one, before he decided he had another one, they came. I, I told him that. I said, what's going to happen is you're so worried about even getting a job offer, you're going to end up with a couple of them at the same time.

And that's sure enough, it happened within like 24 hours. Really. There was two of them, so. But again, just, you know, I mean, I'm sure other people have the same road I've taken or whatever, but it's just all about, if you want that, you just got to do it. And who cares what the regs say? You never know. You know, I was putting it. Again, I was putting in for jobs that I, I was just, I was waiting for the. Oh, sorry. Thanks for applying, but we've gone a different route. You know, I was, I, I don't know how many of those emails I got. But you don't, you don't know until you try. You just never know what they're looking for. Yep.

And he has done, he has done well, though. He's on good terms here with everybody.

Oh, yeah, I was going to mention that.

He let him know what he was doing. So it doesn't mean we're never going to fly here again because we will. He has maintained his relationship. Yep. They're happy for him to move on. They understand. And so he'll still be available on his days off. So there will be more cavalry videos and we've got some other stuff planned.

Yes, I meant to mention that I still will be doing instructing on part time and. And I'll still be doing the charter work part time.

I have another series of videos that I'm working up right now and I'm going to use Chris with them, but we'll just film them on his days off. And it won't be an everyday thing. It'll be more like, like maybe a Tuesday, Thursday release each week. But we're gonna do something with some, like, fundamentals of helicopter flying, the basics. And I've improved a lot of stuff. I've got a lot of equipment and anyway, we're gonna take a little different approach instead of the man, it was fun doing one every day for 50 days. But that is, I do all my own editing. So I had to, you know, for me to come shoot, drag everything home, edit everything, still run the business, try to be a dad, try to do dishes, eat, sleep. That 50 every day was grueling. So the next round of series, the things that we're going to do is going to be where I've got more time to edit like two videos a week versus seven a week. That was just a little bit rough.

Well, it's been, it's been real fun. Those videos are fun. It's been.

Well, yeah, in the beginning I was thinking, well, we'll do it a couple weeks and then let's do another week. And then pretty before you know it, it was 50 days. And like I said, the first day that he wasn't available because he had to go actually go to Texas and fly a 130 back. And I was, yes, I. It was. We had, we had completed day 15. I'm like, man, I don't know, I'm kind of tired. I kind of want to take a break, but I kind of want to keep going. And for like two or three hours I was struggling with this. And I even told Heather that. And I'm sitting at the airport, at the hangar going, man, what do I do about that time? He calls and goes, sorry, dude, I got to cancel you tomorrow because I got to go pick up at 1:30 in Texas. I go, don't feel bad. I've been sitting here for three hours going, God, should I keep up this pace anymore? Should I take a break? And Heather said I should take a break. So when he called, I go, it's perfect, man. Don't feel, don't be Sad. We had 50 day run of 50 videos. Every day I'm struggling to decide whether to continue on. You got to go fly. That's it. Start with you, ended with you. And yeah, part of the story. So moral of the story is you can do this and you can get there. And we could go on and on for another hour and a half on the struggles, different things that Chris has had along the way. I had all kinds of struggles along the way. Everybody does. Very few people just get all their helicopter ratings and just fall into their job and life's just grand. That isn't the way it happens for normal, most of us, but it happens by being persistent, staying after it, selling yourself. And it seems probably not as difficult now to you now that it's. Or is it still Seeming I'll tell.

You, you know I think I've said this before on a video sometime. I remember when I first started this I was working midnights and I was sitting in my patrol car and we had computers, you know, where we can log in and all that stuff but I was looking at helicopter jobs, you know and here I am looking and they're like oh you got to have 1500 hours. Oh you got to have 2000 hours, you got to have this.

I'm like seems like so far out.

There and I'm sitting here, Here it is 2 o' clock in the morning, I'm sitting in the parking lot looking and I'm like I'm either going through my training or I'm a brand new private pilot. I don't remember but I'm thinking how the hell am I gonna get those freakin hours? Yeah, I'm like holy shit, you want 1500 hours?

I know and I have so far.

And I have 300, you know and I'm like how, how am I gonna pay for that? Even if I bought every hour, how am I gonna. Yeah. And then you know, you just keep at it, you know, you just keep flying, you find ways, you just do it and then next thing you know, here it is.

Beg, borrow, still hit your ride. Oh yeah, can I ride along in log time?

Oh yeah, I can talk about. I've done it all. I. Yeah so anyway, but thanks for the help, thanks for the journey. We're gonna have some more thanks for the viewers because they are. We wouldn't be anything right here without you.

And that's, and that's one thing that absolutely thank you for joining today or if you catch this video later, give us a thumbs up. Subscribe to the channel, click the bell because there's going to be lots of more great content coming. Remember, the weather's iffy to fly another day helicopter crown.com so I don't know. He's living proof, living proof. You got to go after it, you got to sell yourself and you got to be persistent. And that was the biggest thing when they go, well they flat out told you.

Yeah, they did.

Well you because your name kept showing up. We went well maybe we better hire this guy. I mean hey, that, that's persistence, that's selling yourself. That's going after I even had the.

Recruiter even I remember an email too. I said hey, sorry to bother you again but I see that this location has another opening. It's opened again is what I said, right? I was like, do you think there's any. And he, you know, he'd email back I don't think there's anything we can do, you know. And it was just that simple. And then, you know, three months later another opening happened. I emailed him again. I said and actually apologize for keep emailing him.

Right.

But it all worked out so you did good man. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Give us a thumbs up for Chris. Give him a, give him a comment down below. Wish him luck in his new career.

Thanks. We'll see you soon. And maybe there might be a future video at the base there. Hey, there you go.

Yeah, it's only like two hours away. Yeah. If they would allow it I could come down and maybe they at least let us see what they'll allow us to shoot and I could come down and do that. All right. Hell yeah.

Peace out.

Peace out.