Chad Fath - President and Chief Pilot



E-Mail: chad@hghelicopters.com 







Chad Fath started his helicopter training career over ten years ago. Chad was on an EMS ride alone when they had to load a patient onto a Life Flight helicopter. After talking to the pilot and the over all experience of that powerful piece of equipment Chad knew he wanted to become a helicopter pilot and one day fly this amazing machine that fascinated him so much.







A week later, Chad told his parents he found a Helicopter Flight School in California that he wanted to attend. One month later, he hopped a plane to Concord , CA , and started his training. After eleven hard months of flying and studying Chad took a job based out of Minneapolis , MN , working as a flight instructor with other duties of tours, photos, pipeline and power line patrol. After about a year, Chad received an offer to fly corporate for a construction company located in Atlanta , GA. There Chad did various flights such as flying the owner to off-airport construction sights, to and from the race tracks where the owner would race at, and some flight instruction.







Chad loved all this but missed the enjoyment and self-rewards of flight instruction. Chad then took a job in Fort Meyers , FL , where he would take on responsibilities such as the chief flight instructor and chief pilot of a 135 operation. Here Chad primarily taught people to fly, but also did a lot of passenger transport, photos, tours, alligator counting and filming of boat races. At this point in time Chad was loving life and his career as a helicopter pilot. Then all hell hit and put fear in all pilots, yes, September 11 th . September 11 th affected every pilot in some way. With the airspaces closed and not knowing when they would be back up to the general public, Chad went back to Minnesota and waited for everything to calm down again and started to work on his Fixed wing training. Once he completed his training he started looking for job. After setting up interviews out west Chad hopped in the car and headed out. The first stop, Las Vegas , NV . Chad interviewed with a couple com panies and took one as a flight instructor. After working there awhile Chad worked his way up to senior flight instructor, tour pilot, charter pilot, and filming for the movies. With various duties ranging from Baja races, VIP charter, Grand Canyon tours, and strip tours, to teaching group ground school to the new students and stage checks with both student and CFI's.







Chad's experience contributed to his ideas on what would make the perfect flight school. With working at numerous flight schools throughout his career he found out what really works and what does not. Chad's goal became to take the best aspects of every school he worked for and some from the schools he attended. In doing so, he came up with a school that is serous and dedicated to transform you, the student, into a professional and extremely safe pilot.







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Jim Kennedy - Assistant Chief Pilot/Commercial Pilot 







Jim Kennedy, has been a part of this school since it's opening.   Jim originally owned successful a construction company but about 10 years ago decided to become a full time instructor. When Jim isn't in his office, teaching students, or flying around the tri-state area he can be found giving a helpful hand on our many projects.  Jim is also an avid drag racer with amazing outcomes in his days of drag racing. Jim has won numerous events around the country and he is a former IHRA world champ.







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Steve Blunk - CFI







Steve is a native of northeastern Ohio. He is an U.S. Army Infantry (A) veteran who decided to join the helicopter industry in 2010. He joined our staff in September 2011 and has continued to be an asset both in the office and around the hangar. In his spare time he enjoys the outdoors and riding his motorcycle..







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Parker Brown - Office Manager 



E-Mail: parker@hghelicopters.com



Parker Brown grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and enrolled in our academy September of 2011.  Parkers interest in aviation came from his uncle and grandfather who both served in the U.S. Air Force. He received his Commercial license in November of 2012 and Instrument in March of 2013. He is currently working towards his CFI and CFII.







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Walt Edmundson - VA Coordinator 







Walt Edmundson has been fascinated with aviation since his childhood. At the age of 19 he talked to a United States Marine Corps Recruiter and learned that one had to complete a four year bachelors degree and be commissioned as an Officer to have a chance of flying in the military. With the war already in full swing in both Afghanistan and Iraq, he chose to enlist as a Private instead and was in Boot Camp at Parris Island ten days later.



He served as a driver of a M1A1 Abrams in Iraq and was promoted to Corporal. Later while holding the billet of gunner in the 2nd Tank Battalion he had the opportunity to participate in casualty evacuation training and got to ride in a CH-53 over Onslo beach on the North Carolina coast. He knew that being a pilot was a dream that had to be fulfilled.                               



After receiving his honorable discharge from the USMC he returned home and began researching the GI Bill and aviation programs near his family. The current and future job markets projections showed him that rotorcraft pilots were needed desperately and he decided to pursue a career as a helicopter pilot instead of his childhood dream of flying airplanes.                                



Walt is currently a commercial pilot with Higher Ground as he is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a common name on the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Deans List with a 3.7 GPA. Flight wise he is currently working on his CFI and CFII certificates.







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Drew Nurrenbern - Business Development/CFII 

                               

E-Mail: drew@hghelicopters.com



Drew has always been fascinated with helicopters and powered flight. His interest peaked after reading novels in grade school on personal accounts of helicopter pilots during the Vietnam War.



After high school he attended Indiana State University and earned a BS in Criminology and Criminal Justice. During college he enlisted In the Indiana Army National Guard as a Field Artilleryman and joined Army ROTC at Indiana State University. After his commissioning as a Field Artillery officer in the Indiana Army National Guard he worked many jobs ranging from deployment support to Homeland Security.



In 2010 an e-mail came that changed his life, the Indiana Army National Guard was looking for UH-60 pilots. After taking the AFAST in September 2010 and he was at Ft. Rucker, Alabama by January 2011. Thanks to the U.S. Army he can now credit experience in Bell 206, OH-58 Kiowa, and UH-60 A/L Blackhawk. He is currently the Company Commander of Delta Co, 2-238th General Support Aviation Battalion in Shelbyville, IN.



He wanted to continue flying through the Post 9-11 GI Bill and found Higher Ground Helicopters. He found that the climate was excellent for a former service member and he learned all he could through Jim Kennedy, Chris Kimmel, and Chad Fath. He earned his FAA CFII in 2013 and hopes to continue to grow as a pilot and help grow Higher Ground Helicopters into a nationally known helicopter flight school.







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Chris Kimmel - CFII/Commercial Pilot                                 







Chris realized he wanted to be a pilot since he was child growing up near Pittsburgh. Helicopters really got his attention in high school and he decided to follow his dream. Chris completed the entire Professional Pilot program at Higher Ground Helicopters and was quickly hired as a CFII. He has continued that postion to this day.  When he not teaching he is working towards a bachelors degree in Aviation Administration from Utah Valley University.                               







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