This was a good decision for me to come to the canyon. I had been there for over three months and I was flying as many hours everyday as I possibly could. It was rare that I would ever take a day off or even get out of the helicopter once I got started in the morning. Maybe for a few minutes while the aircraft was being refueled, but my flight time in turbine powered helicopters was building very fast.
Some weeks I would fly between 45-55 hours. The Jet Ranger helicopter was like a modern day horse. I felt like the cowboy that rode a very spirited stallion. Fast and agile. Even after the season for tours was over, I could stay on and do other things. We did a lot of flights for different agencies and there would always be work year around.
I received a call one day from a Brian Roland of Southland Helicopters in Long Beach, CA. They were doing a lot of flight training and he offered me a part time position. My first thoughts were very tempting. As much as I would like to stay in the canyon, I really would like to get back to California and live a more normal life. I knew when I came to the canyon, it would only be until I could get work back in California. So after much thought, I turned down the offer. I was doing okay and I felt like if they wanted me bad enough, they could offer more. A few weeks went by and another phone call from Southland Helicopters and a better offer. This time it was much better and I accepted. I turned in my notice the next day. I really hated to leave, but this would put me back in an area where I would have more choices later on. I stayed on for two more weeks, then loaded up the old Yellow Chevy and headed back to California. As I was driving home, I was thinking about how it was going to be getting back into a more restricted environment. The type of flying I would be doing at Southland Helicopters would be mostly flight training and some charter flights. I knew I would miss the great flying in the canyon..................................
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