Mission Statement
The Grand Canyon Flight Crew provides safe and practical training opportunities for helicopter managers and helicopter crewmembers from all agencies to ascertain or increase their aviation knowledge and experience in a professional and educational atmosphere.
History
In the spring of 2000, the Helicopter Training Academy was born with 13 students. The students were used to meet the minimum staffing levels needed to keep up with the variety of missions and daily workloads here in the Park and the surrounding areas like the Kaibab National Forest. Within the first year of its creation, the Academy illustrated why there was such a necessity for interagency helicopter training.
The Academy has been managed by several members from Grand Canyon Flight Crew throughout the years. Crew members have each brought new training topics, instructional methods, and ideas. Coupled with feedback from each HTA student, it has lead to the current program which includes workbooks, didactic trainings, practical field opportunities, and sometimes, more unique missions like slinging stuck boats from the Colorado River or relocating threatened or endangered species to a new habitat.
Upon completion of another productive and successful year, we are stunned to admit the Helicopter Training Academy has been established for over 10 years! Over this time, we have taught nearly 250 helicopter crewmembers and helicopter managers and are eagerly waiting for the next students in May 2010.
