All Mylène Marionvalle ever wanted was to be able to help people from the sky. As a child growing up in northern France, she dreamt of joining the Service d’aide médicale urgente (Urgent Medical Aid Service) as a helicopter pilot.
To those who know Taylor Chism, a quick look at the way her life has unfolded is not surprising at all; to others, it's an enviable, intriguing, and sometimes confronting combination of everything outdoorsy, adventurous, and exciting. She possesses the zest of a confident kid who hasn't yet been taught how to fear, but she's a frank, steadily spoken young woman with the quiet self-assuredness of one who knows her personal limits.
The sun's heat reflects off a mottled grey tarmac, glancing back up onto the Fire Boss AT802F faithfully waiting there for me alongside Riley Payne's red-shirted form.
"As a kid, I would always look to the sky when aircraft passed over, and I loved airshows. When it came time to decide what to do for a career, I knew it needed to be hands-on and dynamic. Initially, I thought about going into corporate aviation flying business jets, but then I took an [...]
"When asked how I became a heli pilot I often reply, half-jokingly, 'It was the only option left for me – I was bad at everything else,'" Maxim laughs. "But there Is some truth in it. I didn't perform well in high school, let alone university." "The school benches totally lost me, so I started [...]
"I have many 'whys,'" says Sam. "I never grew up in an aviation family. No one in my family is a pilot or flies. But I always had a love for aviation – I just never really thought it was attainable. I didn't quite know how to pave that path when I was younger." Instead, [...]
Amanda Deed's dad, Paul, started flying before she was born, and she's been in the front seat with him ever since she could reach the controls. Now, both fixed-wing and heli pilots, they are a spirited pair crisscrossing the country, ferrying all manner of aircraft and relishing Australia's natural wonders.
The best day for Cathy Beaucage starts early. “I’m a morning person. I’m useless after a big – or small, let’s face it – day of work!” She laughs. It’s the serene moments before the day truly begins that she relishes. “I like the time I get around the heli before clients show up, prepping [...]
Michelle Astergard's romance with aviation started early. "I have always loved aviation," she smiles impulsively. "Every time you enter an airport, there is this feeling of excitement lingering in the air. People are thrilled to go on a new adventure or happy to reunite with their loved ones." "My Godmother had two daughters that I [...]
A bunch of stories about ballooning in Western Australia on the hot air comp circuit – from then (2017) til now (2023)
Bronni Bowen 