Patch Blog: A Typical Day in Montrose Pilot's Seat

The typical day for me, even working one day a week, is pretty structured. Most of my passengers never get to see most of what I do and the attention to detail that is required of the pilots and ground crew. The safety of my passengers is paramount over just meeting the basic minimums prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

I begin my day with pre-flight checks of the helicopter and all support equipment. Including topping off any fluids, fueling and light cleaning. I pre-flight using an FAA approved and manufacturer written checklist. This involves checking all instrumentation, electronics, mechanical connections and lighting. This process can take as little as 15 minutes but could take up to 45 minutes. If issues that are not fixable or will not allow for a safe flight are found, then I do not fly until they are fixed. We also will clean the helicopter as needed including wiping down the windscreen and vacuuming the carpets.

I also check for weather conditions. Although meeting the weather minimums as prescribed by the FAA can be safe, we hold ourselves to a different standard. We want our passengers to walk away with amazing memories of, what could be, a once in a lifetime experience. 

Once the helicopter is squared away, always before passengers arrive, we prep ourselves for the day. Wash hands, tuck in shirts, clean the sunglasses. Now we are greet worthy!

Before boarding our passengers we give them a safety briefing. This includes details about how to approach the helicopter, using the seat-belts and instructions for emergency departure from the helicopter. This is an awkward aspect of being a pilot because some might already be anxious and talking about something that statistically may not happen isn't always the best way to ease nerves. Being an FAA requirement, however, we have to do the briefing. Fortunately for us the fun part of the experience hasn't yet begun.

The flight is of course the best part of the day. I take passengers up for at least 10 minutes up to about an hour. The hardest part for me, surprisingly, isn't the flying its the entertaining. I can be charming, but to do it flight after flight while accommodating different personalities can be mentally exhausting. But it's also the most rewarding! Seeing young kids faces glow with anticipation and reel with enthusiasm, that is the true reward. Even adults get in on the act some walking away with a new-found spirit of adventure.

Don't forget the photos! We encourage our passengers to bring along cameras to take away some memories of their experience. I also encourage them not to take too many as they may miss out on the experience entirely while fussing with a camera. We also try to get a photo of the group outside of the helicopter as a keepsake.

After the flights are done for the day I log aircraft run times, add fuel and even clean the helicopter again if needed.  

As a pilot, it can be tough to walk away from your helicopter with complete peace of mind. Sometimes thinking about what may not be in the right place or not locked down or things not executed correctly during a flight stays with you hours even days after. Remembering that landing safely and going home to spend another day with your family and friends is the most important thing.

Keeping the blue side up!

Note: the operation of a tour helicopter is supported by a sales team, ground crew, office crew and pilots. Some references above are solely implemented by the pilot and others are shared with the support crew.