May 2019 Student of the Month
Meet Jack Spellman, age 23, from Cleveland, OH. Working on Instrument and CFII
When asked, at what point in your life did you know you wanted to fly helicopters? Jack replied “During my third year of University studying Architecture three years ago, I went on a helicopter tour with my family over Christmas. It was one of my greatest memories ever, but I didn’t really consider flying one as a career path—at least not until my father sat me down and talked to me about it after. He knew I wasn’t too keen on the whole “9-to-5, sit behind a desk all day” thing, and told me that if he could do it all again, he would have become a bush pilot instead of an engineer. I figured I owed it to him to at least give it a shot. A year later I did a discovery flight back on the mainland and I couldn’t be happier to be here today pursuing helicopters.”
Once knowing what you wanted to do, why did you pick Mauna Loa Helicopters? Jack simply replied with “I knew I wanted the structure and demanding curriculum that a Part 141 school provides, and Mauna Loa’s reputation looked second-to-none. The fact that it was in Hawaii was just the cherry on top—at least to a boy from the dreary Midwest.”
Do you have a favorite helicopter you have flown so far? “I’ve only ever flown Robinsons, but they do say you never forget your first, so I’ll go with the R22.” So far in your training, now that you are at this halfway point what obstacles have you had to overcome to get to where you are today? “Mustering up the courage to move 5,000 miles and 6 hours’ time difference away from my friends and family.”
When asked where do you hope your training will take you? Goals? Jack gave deep thought and shared “I hope to eventually fly in Alaska or the Pacific Northwest, but I’m really trying to not focus too much on the future and just enjoy my training and flying at each step along the way.”
Jack, what advice would you give to people just starting out in their flight training with Mauna Loa Helicopters? “It’s repeated ad nauseam around here, but it really is the best advice: take control of your flight training. If you’re actively involved in the planning of your education and are constantly holding yourself accountable for seeing the bigger picture and progressing, you’re going to succeed. At the end of the day, while your instructor does undeniably want you to succeed and will do everything in their power to help you become the best pilot you can be, they are your flight instructor—not your babysitter.”
Jack shared with us his favorite flight experience while at MLH thus far, “Flying through the Iao Valley on Maui—no picture or words can capture the beauty and other-worldliness of that experience.”
Tell others about your favorite part of being Hawaii and Mauna Loa Helicopters, “I think the quality of instruction paired with the laid-back atmosphere and genuine friendliness and approachability of the chief pilots and management is a rare combination. The instructors take an interest in you not only as a student pilot but as a person as well. The management interacts with students daily and goes out of their way to put on extracurricular events frequently, like school picnics, guest speakers, sporting events, etc. I would really love to work for a flight school like this.
Seriously Sean, Ben, and Natalie. Please hire me I like it too much here.”
Congratulations again to Jack Spellman on your May Student of the Month award, we look forward to seeing your progress at Mauna Loa Helicopters! Keep up the hard work, and fly safely.
