This month, I focused on telling you reasons why Oregon is an incredible place to live and train while completing our helicopter professional pilot program. However, I think it's also important to hear from one of our pilots to get his perspective on living here. Eddie Ogle is a former student turned flight instructor who now calls Oregon home. Here are his words about why he loves Oregon:
"After thinking about it for a while, I realize making a list of reasons why I love living and flying in Oregon is quite challenging only because that list is ongoing.
There are so many benefits of living, playing, and flying here. I grew up visiting the area from time to time, but I didn’t know until a few years ago that one day I would decide to move here and learn to fly helicopters. At this point, I have completed my training and started my career as a CFI here. I can clearly see how this area and the region have complimented my lifestyle and shaped me as a pilot.
The training environment here in Troutdale comes with a number of benefits, including both beautiful and challenging weather, a variety of terrain, and an amazing pilot community.
The weather we have offers a great variety for building experience. As people like to often say, if you don’t like the weather, just hang out for a few minutes and it will change! The terrain in the Pacific Northwest hosts a variety of options for building aviation skills with mountains and river valleys close by, and the coast nearby as well. Planning flights through the diverse topography is a fun and practical way to add to your skill set, not to mention the beautiful views!
Hillsboro Heli Academy also has an incredibly fun and diverse student and pilot community. From group studying to BBQs in the hangar, you will find a supportive and dedicated group of helicopter fanatics.
Aside from flying helicopters, Oregon offers so many opportunities to enjoy life outside of training. If you enjoy the city, Portland offers a diverse food culture with an emphasis on food carts and breweries. For those interested in the outdoors, there are a multitude of rivers, beaches, and volcanoes a short drive away. For me, being able to access skiing and mountain biking in my downtime add so much to my lifestyle. Mt. Hood is only an hour drive from the Troutdale Campus with hiking, skiing, and biking opportunities. Portland is proudly one of the world’s most bike friendly cities, so it is easy to commute and cruise the area year round on two wheels!
If any of this sounds appealing to you, I can’t think of a better place to get your helicopter career started than right here in Oregon at Hillsboro Heli Academy!"
Our team would be happy to tell you more about Oregon and how Hillsboro Heli's professional pilot program can help you reach your aviation goals. Feel free to contact us at 1.503.726.3000 or info@flyhaa.com.