well, a lot of things are possible when you have rich parents, and a lot of luck, and they also own a flying service and pilots training facility.
And if you want to become a pilot in those circumstances? And fight wildfires too? It's as easy as 100 years ago being a barnstormer. There wasn't any govt interference for a long time when they invented airplanes, and pilots came back from WW1. But after WW2, regulations got in the way of military pilots getting the equal status of civilian pilots. Money, you see, changed everything, and so did lawyers.
Her family owns the helicopter flying company Billings Flying services, so I imagine she had lots of opportunities to learn, anytime she wanted, and she has been flying since age 14, so, 5 years experience flying already.
I bet she's constantly getting job offers too, by companies that figure she'll take low entry pay, because she's young, instead of what they have to pay middle aged men with a mortgage, that don't understand she's going to inherit the family business, and never punch a clock for another company.
It's a certainty she got her private pilots license as early in her life as is legally allowed.
-she likely got her commercial pilots license and maybe even her CFI as early as legally allowed, as well as IFR.
-she likely gets PLENTY of time in any airframe her parents own, whenever she wants. Basically for free. Meaning that she likely has gotten type rating on numerous airframes (if she was industrious, likely all of the airframes that her parents own.)
This is a pilot’s dream start; not having to go into massive debt to get into the industry; and likely not having to start at the minimum wage type jobs that most fresh CFI/Commercial pilots have to endure for years before they can get into a decent gig.
Most pilots have about 5 years and $100,000 of debt to get a job flying. If they are lucky.
Her ratings are:
Commercial Rotorcraft
Commercial Multi Engine
Instrument Airplane
Instrument Helicopter
Private Single Engine
Private Glider
S70 Type Rating
CE525S Type Rating
"I've been around airplanes and helicopters pretty much since I was born," said Ashli Blain, a pilot with Billings Flying Service. "My mom always likes to tell me that she put me in a helicopter two weeks after I was born to go to a party, and apparently everyone thought she was nuts."
Now that she's started college, there's not much time for fighting fires. Blain works as a flight instructor during the school year.
I imagine being a commercially licensed fire fighting pilot pays really well, has lots of hours available to max out pay, and covers college costs. So, win win win.
Sorta makes you wonder, why aren't military pilots of all sorts allowed to hire out to fly dire fighting choppers and planes? Why is it they have to be extorted out of 50-100 thousand dollars of earning to get certified to fly the same equipment over California as they did Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Persian Gulf countries?
https://ladieslovetaildraggers.com/ashli-blain-montana/
https://fireaviation.com/2020/09/13/teen-firefighting-pilot-flies-blackhawks-and-chinooks/
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/billings-teen-joined-effort-to-fight-california-wildfire
Billings Flying Service is just about the biggest name in the commercial helo aerial firefighting game.
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