This story by Jeff Gardner originally appeared in the Marana News.
There are more than 250 aircraft at the Marana Regional Airport. Some of the vehicles are military, some are private and some are educational.
Tyler and Tasha Sturges run their business, Volare Helicopters, from the Marana Regional Airport. They offer sightseeing tours, special events and helicopter training.
“You’d be surprised at the range of people who want to learn to fly,” Tyler said. “It takes a certain amount of confidence, but with enough practice, there’s no one who can’t learn.”
Tyler views learning to fly helicopters professionally as a kind of trade school for himself, an alternative to a traditional university. To him, it’s a cheaper and faster process. The FAA requires 40 hours in the air for a pilot certificate, and 150 hours to be a commercial pilot. Tyler completed this in about two years.
“I feel like some people view flying as a kind of ‘rich person’ thing,” Tyler said. “But if you look at the numbers, it really isn’t.”
Read the rest of the story at the Marana News.
