Learning to fly is within your reach, copter pilot tells students at French Gulch school

Nada Atieh
Redding Record Searchlight
French Gulch-Elementary students meet pilot Justin Hambleton to ask questions and ride the helicopter on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

After a practice fire drill, French Gulch-Whiskeytown Elementary students darted back outside on Tuesday to meet an aviator expert who had landed near their school. 

It takes two years of aviation school to become a helicopter pilot, said Nathan Danielson, a 12-year-old sixth grader. That's what he learned from Justin Hambleton, the helicopter pilot from the Redding Air Service who spent some time near his school on Tuesday.

What was a helicopter pilot doing in French Gulch? 

Hambleton was there for a job, he said. He was working for a third-party contractor to replace a passive reflector, a panel used to beam a signal for internet and communications, that burned up in the 2018 Carr Fire

He made it a point to let the school know that he would be there if the students wanted to see the helicopter and ask questions, he said. So, after the students had a practice fire drill, they went out to see the helicopter. 

"It was awesome to see the helicopter and see it land in our field. It’s never really happened," said Kayden Farr, an 11-year-old fourth grader.

Kayden Farr, 11, and Reese Brown, 9, fourth graders at French Gulch-Whiskeytown Elementary School on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

What did students want to know about the helicopter? 

Hambleton said he was struck by the kids' knowledge on aviation.

"I was blown away at the fact that one of the kids actually knew what air density was. Even some of the little kids had some excellent questions. It was neat to share; not a lot of people know they can be a helicopter pilot," he said. 

Redding Air Service helicopters land in French Gulch field to replace passive reflector on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.

Hambleton showed students the different parts of the helicopter and told them how he fought the Carr Fire. He used a Bambi Bucket to battle the Carr Fire, said Reese Brown, a 9-year-old fourth grader. The bucket is suspended on a cable carried by the helicopter to deliver water for aerial firefighting. 

"We saw the helicopter land and went out there to the field and that’s when he started telling us about the helicopter, Bambi Bucket and fighting the Carr Fire. We were asking if they fought fires and he was like, 'We used the helicopter for the Carr Fire and were getting the water out of the creek,'" Reese said. "It was cool to see it land and go up."

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Shawn Vanhorn, a 12-year-old sixth grader, said he was inspired learning how the helicopter's motor works and how the propellers rotate. He was joined by Jason Graham, 10, a fifth grader at the school. 

What takeaways did students have from the visit with Hambleton?

Shawn wants to be a pilot in the U.S. Marine Corps and when Hambleton shared how the helicopter works, it inspired him to want to be a helicopter pilot, he said. Jason said he was also motivated to be a pilot one day. He was once a co-pilot on a small plane where he learned how to steer, he said.

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Jason Graham, 10, and Nathan Danielson, 12, fifth and sixth grade students at French Gulch-Whiskeytown Elementary School on Tuesday, March 31, 2021.

He's fascinated by what the helicopter would look like if it was assembled and disassembled, he said. Hambleton taught him that helicopter blades can't break the sound barrier no matter how big or small they are and that only a portion of the engine is needed to power the helicopter.

"He was very nice and showed us the engine and motor and it turns out only an eighth of the engine powers the whole helicopter and a bunch of pieces power the motor," Graham said. "Kind of weird."

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Hambleton said he had no idea he wanted to be a helicopter pilot when he was a kid. He began his career in 2003, after hearing a radio ad for helicopter pilots. It took him two years to complete aviation school and he's never looked back since, he said.

Answering people's questions and letting them ride the helicopter is part of the job and he's happy to do it when he has time, he said. 

"He didn’t just lecture the kids, he asked questions and was a natural teacher. He didn’t just tell but waited to see what the children knew and followed their lead. He was wonderful," Superintendent Moira Casey said. 

Nada Atieh is a Report For America corps member and education reporter focusing on childhood trauma and the achievement gap for the Redding Record Searchlight. Follow her on Twitter at @nadatieh_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! And if you are able, please consider a tax-deductible gift toward her work.