May 2019 Student of the Month
Meet Jennifer Martinez, age 37, from Texas. Working on PPL.
Honolulu Base Student of the month award was given to Jennifer “Jen” Martinez, a self-proclaimed “military brat” from all over the US but she’s a 37 year old Texas-born lady. Jenn is currently working toward obtaining her PPL, having only flown the R22 & R44 naturally she said the R44 is her favorite helicopter to fly. When asked at what point in your life did you know you wanted to fly helicopters, Jenn replied with “When I was 25 years old I never even sat in a helicopter! But it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I had my first flight and could begin making my dream become a reality.”
Jenn said she selected MLH for her flight training from a referral, “I was referred by my first instructor, Nate Koller-Ingram, who once was a student at MLH.” When chatting about her favorite flying experiences here in Hawaii Jenn shared “It’s gorgeous, breathtaking Hawaii! Need I say more? Ok! Here’s more, I enjoy flying in weather that constantly changes, experiencing crosswinds when practicing normal approaches, learning about mountain turbulence, and building personal minimums as my training evolves.” On the lines of favorites, Jenn was asked to share her top experience while fly with MLH was/is “The instructors! I had the pleasure of training with Joe (Assistant Chief) and now with Ben Tate who both have A LOT of patience with me, making my flight training & experience amazing. They continuously provide encouragement and push me to strive for the best. I am a firm believer that an instructor can make or break your flight experience and appreciative I have trained with instructors who care about the students and not just about building their own hours.”
From best to, what obstacles have you had to overcome to get to where you are today? Jenn simply replies “Two-words . . TIME & FINANCES! I am sure many others encounter similar obstacles and I am no different. However! I am incredibly grateful for what I have now that allows me to study and fly. Jenn shared her advice to give to students just starting out in this industry, “For most, you must really have the passion for aviation in order to stomach the financial burden and vast consumption of time to train. If you do, then don’t give up, push forward, and immerse yourself in aviation. It was recently that I came upon a quote by LeBron Kames….. and no I am not a sports fan but I am a fan of this quote that has helped me;
‘I choose… to live by choice, not by chance.
To make changes, not excuses.
To be motivated, not manipulated.
To be useful, not used.
To excel, not compete.
I choose self-esteem, not self petty.
I choose to listen to my inner voice no the random option of others.’
Lastly, Jenn shared her training goals she has set for herself, “My goal is to become a skilled, efficient, and sharp commercial helicopter pilot carrying out tours in Hawaii. From there it’s nothing but continuing my education. Growing in my career by obtaining additional ratings in Instrument, Instructor, and who knows, maybe one day I’ll be sling loading AC units on top of high rises or fighting fires in California or Idaho. The sky is the limit… literally! Thank you, MLH, for being the school that was promised to be! My expectations have been exceeded and I couldn’t as for more!”
Congratulations to Jenn on your award! And we know we will be hearing more of your success. Keep up the hard work, it’s paying off! Fly safe.