Cory Manning
“What can I say, I love this company!! I have been here for a long time and over the years Utah Helicopter has given me ALL the tools I need to be successful as a pilot, flight hours, ratings-including my ATP, and a very thorough understanding of life as a pilot. Utah Helicopter has been behind me as an employee 100% over the course of more than 4 years. I have seen the company make sacrifices during difficult times to keep things moving forward and they have always pulled us through. I am truly flattered to be such a large part of a strong-willed, honest, and hard-working company. I would also like to say that I have never worked with any group of people that have such an excellent work ethic. So far we have offered 100% of our graduates’ employment! We train our students to be the best, the safest and the friendliest employees. This company…this opportunity has changed my life and I will always admire Utah Helicopter.”
Cory Manning, CFII / ATP, Maverick Helicopters
Rachel Teater
“My experience with Utah Helicopter Academy was nothing but positive! I had received my Private, Instrument and Commercial ratings at another school in the area and went to UTH to obtain my Flight Instructor and Instrument Flight Instructor ratings. I was very impressed with Utah Helicopter and wish I would have started my flight training with them from the beginning. If you’re looking at different schools in the area to get your training do not look any further! Utah Helicopter is a great school and they won’t send you all over the country to get your training and take your check rides.”
Rachel Teater, UTH Graduate
Blaine Jemmett
“I started my training almost two years ago with Utah Helicopter. Thanks to their dedicated instructors and flexible scheduling I was able to finish the Career Pilot Program and become a Certified Flight Instrument Instructor (CFII). Utah Helicopter gave me the opportunity to follow my dream of flying helicopters.”
Dan Flower
“I’m buying/building a Mosquito XE3 kit helicopter and completed my first 10 hours of training (a kit requirement) at Utah Helicopter, which was the most intense and thrilling experience of my entire life! The instructors were very insightful and customized parts of my training with the kit in mind. I’m hoping to finish my private rating and Mosquito by this fall and can hardly wait to fly again with the folks at UTH!”
Chad Kartchner
“The flight training I received with Utah Helicopter allowed me to progress in my career as a pilot. I was flying in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, covering breaking news for CBS, NBC, and FOX. Now I’m instructing in these beautiful aircraft for the US Army and loving every minute of it. Dedicated flight instructors and a “pay-as-you-go” system was just what I needed to get my career off the ground.”
Mindy Braithwaite
In 2007 I made the decision I wanted to fly helicopters. At the time I knew nothing about helicopters or the aviation industry, but for whatever reason I was drawn to flying and I knew I wanted to become a pilot. There were several flight training schools at which I looked into enrolling, but Utah Helicopter stood out among them all. From the first time I walked in the door at Utah Helicopter I liked the vibe, so to speak, and I knew this was a place where I was going to receive a quality education. All throughout my training the administrative staff was always so helpful with such things as assisting me navigate the unknown territory of student loans, and instructors were willing to spend whatever time was necessary to ensure that I understood the concepts they were teaching and that I was well prepared to become a competent and confident pilot.
The training I have received while with Utah Helicopter has not only given me the knowledge, experience, and tools I need to be a successful helicopter pilot in the aviation industry, but I have been able to grow and develop as a person, as well. I am grateful for the opportunities this school has afforded me, and I would recommend Utah Helicopter to anyone looking to pursue a career in aviation.
Base Mananger – Utah Helicopter (U42)
BJ Belnap
I don’t even know where to start. Utah helicopter has been invaluable in my progress as a pilot and getting my career as a helicopter pilot off and rolling. When a colleague of mine was working on his fixed wing ratings it got me to thinking and stewing over doing that myself. That night I got online and filled out some random helicopter flight schools info page and a few days later Utah Helicopter called me back and the rest is history. I worked way more than full time while going through Utah Helicopters career program. Without the one on one instructor flexibility I’m confident I wouldn’t have been able to do what I have done and in the time that I did it in. My wife, family, and I are all grateful for the knowledgeable and personable instructors, office staff and owners of Utah Helicopter. I felt part of the “family” from the very first day I walked into the office. Now that I am instructing with Utah Helicopter I love the just culture that allows us to feel safe and comfortable. I do not “work” for a living anymore. I am very fortunate to absolutely love what I do. I’ll be forever grateful to Utah Helicopter for helping me get to that phase in my life and set me up to be able to love the rest of my career as a helicopter pilot.
Helicopter Pilot — Sky Helicopters, Texas
Mike Greene
I’ve always wanted to fly for a living. While growing up my dad had an airplane. I think that’s where it all started. After I got married and worked several different jobs, I found that I liked being outside and operating equipment. Helicopters seemed to fit both. My wife and parents gave me a demo flight at a school in Provo, UT and that sealed the deal! I knew that that was what I wanted to do. My dad always said, “Find a job you will enjoy and it won’t be a job…if you know what I mean.”
I got my private license in Saint George, UT with a different flight school. After getting my license I was short on money to continue and could not get a student loan to continue. I found I could get a loan if I had collateral so I bought a Cessna 152. As I was flying around the Sanpete Valley I heard a helicopter coming in to land so I made a radio call and asked which school they were from. The instructor came back on and told me all about this new school that opened in Spanish Fork, UT. A few months later I started with Utah Helicopter. The training was more structured than the other school I trained with and it seemed like the owners would make sure I would succeed at reaching my dreams. Without this company’s dedication I know I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Mike Greene – Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Rick Manning
I finished high school and like most people I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I tried college but never really excelled in school. I just kind of scraped by doing what I needed to pass. I think a lot of the reason was because to me, school was boring. I was never motivated to put much more effort than needed. It wasn’t until my brother told me about the exciting career as a helicopter pilot that my interest was sparked…so, I checked it out. After the Demo Flight with my instructor, Cory, I knew there wasn’t anything in the world I would rather do! My instructor at Utah Helicopter tailored his lessons around me and filled class time with facts and stories from him and other pilots. He accepted nothing but the best out of each flight and ground session and truly was “setting the standard for quality and performance one pilot at a time.
At Utah Helicopter the owners and instructors want to see you succeed and will do all that they can to make sure this happens. Without this company’s love and dedication to the industry and its students I know I wouldn’t be where I am today. Thanks, Utah Helicopter!
Rick Manning, Utah Helicopter Graduate
Maverick Helicopter Pilot, Grand Canyon, AZ
Robert Dennis
My name is Robert Dennis and I am a Flight Instructor at Utah Helicopter in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I have wanted to fly ever since I was old enough to walk. Over the years many people told me that I wouldn’t be able to be a pilot due to all sorts of uneducated reasons. After spending about 18 years driving over the road trucks and working construction, I decided it was time to talk to people that were actually making a living in the aviation industry. What I found was a lot of people that loved their jobs. After looking into many different flight schools and making a visit to an Aviation Medical Examiner to get my Student Pilot Certificate, I started flight training at Utah Helicopter here in Idaho Falls. I made it through the program and was quickly hired on as an instructor here. Now, I am one of those people that love coming to work. The potential in the industry has me very excited about the future. The schooling is a big investment, but when you look at the pay scale and the jobs that are available in the helicopter industry, it can easily be recovered. If you want to fly, talk to people that are actually in the industry. They are the ones that really know what it takes. If you have enough passion and determination, you can do anything you want.
Instructor – Utah Helicopter (IDA)
Marcus Fuechsel
“During my time as a student at Utah Helicopter I lived with other kids that were attending college and I would always hear them complaining about having to go in to class or just how much they hated going to school. Here at Utah Helicopter I never felt that way once. I was never unhappy to be at school. It’s a great learning environment where the instructors cared about your progress and wanted you to be the best. I feel that’s what really got me through school and kept me motivated to keep studying at home…of course you can’t leave out that flying is just a blast! Utah Helicopter is a great school with great instructors to help you meet your goals in aviation!”
Marcus Fuechsel – CFII
Instructor – Utah Helicopter (PIH)
Kade Gourley
“Utah Helicopter took me from knowing nothing about aviation–except that I wanted to fly helicopters–to giving me the knowledge and skills to be successful in the aviation industry. After looking into several other schools, I checked out Utah Helicopter one time and knew this was the best option.”
Kade Gourley – Tour Pilot
Papillon Helicopters-Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Jake Clark
“With Utah Helicopter you are in charge of your own success! As promised I was able to move through the Career Pilot Program quickly, efficiently, and at my own pace. Utah Helicopter then gave me the opportunity to become and instructor with their company and is helping me move closer to my dreams.”
Gabe Henrie – Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Utah Helicopter Graduate
Gabe Henrie
“With Utah Helicopter you are in charge of your own success! As promised I was able to move through the Career Pilot Program quickly, efficiently, and at my own pace. Utah Helicopter then gave me the opportunity to become and instructor with their company and is helping me move closer to my dreams.”
Gabe Henrie – Commercial Helicopter Pilot
Utah Helicopter Graduate
Todd Harmon
When our son graduated high school he did not want to go to college, he wanted to fly helicopters. We met a guy from our hometown who recently got his training and private pilot license from Utah Helicopter. He could not stop talking about what a top notch school this was. At first we were apprehensive about sending him 17 hours from home to a place where he didn’t know anybody. So we flew to SLC to check it out. As soon as we met the crew we knew immediately this was where we wanted him to be. The instructors and office staff are young professionals who know their stuff. The curriculum is straight forward and structured with a high emphasis on safety which raised our comfort level as parents. They took him right in and made him part of their “family”. Todd recently received his private pilot license and is going back in the Fall to work on his commercial certification. Thanks to all at Utah Helicopter!
Angie and Rick Harmon – Parents from Oklahoma