It takes only a couple years to become a helicopter pilot. But there is a lot of training that has to be done. Be very focused during the whole process. Well for BHS alumnus Nicholas Pattrick this has all been done.
“Army Flight school can range anywhere from 1-2 years depending on how fast you get through,” said Pattrick, who is a Platoon Leader. “It took me 13 months and I was on the fast side. During this time I went through survival school, learned how to fly two different helicopters, and learned the process of complex mission planning.”
He has gained many strengths from this experience.
“I would say that my greatest strengths as a helicopter pilot are my willingness to learn, and ability to work in a team,” Pattrick said. “These attributes are very important in my unit because flying the UH-60 Blackhawk requires a team. At a minimum we must have 2 pilots and we like to have 2 crew chiefs in the back as well. When flying it is very important for these crewmembers to work together as a team so that we can safely perform the potentially dangerous maneuvers that we may need to. A willingness to learn in this profession is also very important due to the extensive amounts of information there is to learn. It takes years to build up a strong knowledge base and there is always something to learn or get better at.”
It is helpful to have a plan early to pursue this career. This career is a huge responsibility and it takes a lot of work.
“I first dreamed of being a helicopter pilot when I was in the 5th grade,” Pattrick said. “Johnny Rowlands, the helicopter pilot for Channel 9 news, came to the Intermediate Center to talk to all the students about being a helicopter pilot. We got to see him land and take off as he came to talk to us. At the time, I saw the dream of flying helicopters as unattainable. When I was in the Army Reserve Officer Training Course at Kansas State University, the opportunity was provided to me to begin the process to be selected to Army Aviation and become a Pilot. At that point I knew my dream may become a reality.”
This career can be very rewarding and encouraging.
“I would encourage this as a profession because it is an extremely noble and rewarding line of work,” Pattrick said. “It is not easy to do, but we have the chance to make a difference in a lot of areas that most people don’t. Not only do you get to make a difference but you also get to see the world from a whole different angle and get to go see some very cool places.”
Setting a goal at the beginning can be a very good motivation.
“My motivation comes from a desire to be the best I can at what I do,” Pattrick said. “There is always something to develop and learn in this profession, so I dedicate myself to always being a lifelong learner and taking any opportunities to increase my knowledge or hone my skills.”
Being a helicopter pilot has a lot of responsibilities. For example, making sure the helicopter is ready to take-off.
“In the aviation world we have checklists for everything,” Pattrick said. “We follow these checklists to make sure we don’t miss anything before flying,” Pattrick said, “Before even getting in the aircraft we go through a pre-flight checklist, making sure our maintenance logs are in order and the aircrafts mechanical parts are in good condition. Once we are in the aircraft, we go through the start-up checklist which has many steps to ensure that our engines and electrical systems are all operating correctly before take-off. We do this to ensure that every flight we take is as safe as possible.”
Making sure that you are very cautious during the flight and knowing where you are and making good decisions can help a lot.
“Decision making can be very difficult in the world of helicopter flying,” Pattrick said. “Flying is naturally dangerous and a lot of times these decisions can come down to the safety of the aircrew and passengers. A difficult decision that I had to make was when I was flying with a General as one of my passengers. He had a schedule to maintain, and we do not like to throw the Generals off-schedule. We had some bad looking weather that day that could have been very dangerous and unsafe to fly in. After considering the General’s schedule and severity of the weather, I decided to cancel the flight and err on the side of caution and cancel the flight to ensure my aircrew and the passengers stayed safe. It is very important to weigh the risk vs. reward of any mission we get when deciding whether to launch a flight or not.”
One really challenging thing about this career is how much pressure it is. There is a lot of work that has to be done in order to pursue this job. If you are really good you will get confident and not have to worry so much about pressure.
“When flying a helicopter, you are under constant pressure to perform,” Pattrick said. “A specific situation I can remember is when I was in flight school. We were flying in the clouds, and I became spatially disoriented. Spatial disorientation is when the feelings in your body do not match the way your body and the helicopter are moving and is also called vertigo. It can become very dangerous, causing you to wrongfully control the aircraft and has caused many crashes. When this happened, I resorted back to my training and trusted my instruments and was able to reorient myself and safely control the aircraft.”
A Platoon Leader leads the platoon in supporting the higher headquarters missions. Pattrick’s favorite memory is with his family.
“My favorite memory in this profession has been when I was able to fly next to my family in the car at 10 feet over the ground,” Pattrick said. “We were flying in what is called the Smoky Hill Open House in Salina, KS. At this event, spectators get to drive onto the bombing range and get to watch the planes drop dummy bombs and shoot live targets. Our job was to fly up and down the roads as the cars were driving in to give them a show. I was able to spot my family’s car and flew next to their car going down the road. It was very fulfilling being able to show my family what I do for a living.”