Nate Ando is originally from Cody, Wyoming but now calls Kalaheo on Kaua’i home for the past 7 years.
The decision to take on flight training was not an easy one, Nate is pivoting from a long career in the maritime industry. This big decision for Nate came down to sustainability. “We all need a career that we can feel challenged and fulfilled by; less of a job and more of an identity.”
Other aspects that led Nate to the serious deviation of taking on our Professional Pilot Program were:
- Passion/Purpose: It is a career that gives you the skills to serve your community in a unique capacity.
- Job Diversity: (Utility, SAR, Offshore transport, ag spraying…..cherry drying, and the list goes on!!!!!)
- Intellectual Sustainability/Challenge: As the saying goes “the closer you get to mastery more you realize how much you still don’t know”. This concept couldn’t be more true in the helicopter industry. The real “siren call” for me is the fact that whether you have been flying for 10 months or 10 years there are always new things to learn and dynamic challenges to face, and you can really feel how the industry ethos lends itself to continued progression. I think that challenge, progression, and purpose are what keeps people from burning out in any career and helicopters seem to have a fun way of hitting all three.
- Community: Let’s face it, the stakes are high (no pun intended) any time you’re in the air and it takes like-minded individuals to want to do this for a career. Being in this challenging environment creates a very motivating culture that really keeps fueling your passion for helis!! It’s contagious! Loved the idea of the types of people I would be around and after starting the program couldn’t be truer, I wouldn’t be where I am without the people I have met along the way!
Nate is currently in his IFR/CFII and less than two weeks away from graduating from the Professional Pilot Program. His short-term goals are to “be an instructor at Mauna Loa and eventually grow into one of the assistant chief roles where I can continue to develop my skills instructing and make more of a contribution to the improvement of the program and help implement new ones.” Long-term Nate would like to get carded by the USFS/DOI and then begin experience in the Helitack/SAR. Then with time be able to give back to the community as a PIC Fire/SAR/Utility pilot. “Annnnnnnd when I am too old to do that I’ll try and go work some medivac or other S&L job!”
When asked why Nate selected MLH he simply said “I am not a young guy anymore I needed a program that would not just give me effective training by also an efficient path to being a professional pilot.” He listed the following as how MLH facilitates this pathway for him:
- “Flyable” weather almost year round
- Diverse Terrain/Conditions (career transferable experience)
- Good Equipment Availability
- Great Instructions/Program Management
- Ben . . . Mr.Fouts . . the GOAT