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jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 09:42 PM
This is a description that was requested by a firm that is looking at me as a pilot. It is taking a while for them to look through all the resumes and I want to explore my options while I wait. I live in middle Georgia but am willing to commute/relocate within the southeast to follow this dream I have.

Here goes!

I am 31 years old and have a wife and 3 awesome kids. My work experience is as follows-My first job was at a local grocery store while I was in high school. Once I graduated I worked for the school system in general maintenance while going to EMT school. This involved everything from HVAC to electrical to plumbing and anything in between. I also was a volunteer firefighter during this time. I decided to move my main job into emergency services as that was closer to the field of work that I planned on making my career so I applied at the Milledgeville fire dept. Got the job and after finishing EMT school and began working part-time at the local hospital as a EMT along with the full-time firefighter job. As soon as I was able I enrolled into paramedic school. Started class with approx 18 students and tested out with 3. I was the only person to pass the national registry test given which was and is a very advanced test. After passing the test and getting my license, I began working 2 full-time jobs, one at the local hospital and remained at the fire dept. I wanted to be involved as much as possible in emergency services. After working 6 years at Oconee Regional, which is the hospital in town, I wanted a little more action so I applied and got a job in Macon at The Medical Center as a paramedic. This is a level 1 trauma center and trust me, I got all the experience I was looking for. Mind you, this whole time I am still working at the fire dept in Milledgeville. During my time as a paramedic, I have held different positions from field training officer to shift captain. I also have advanced to a sergeant position at the fire dept. I have since moved on in my paramedic job to a slower service after working 5 years at the Medical Center. I was running an average of 18 calls in my 24 hour shift there and on top of working my 24 hours at the fire station it was starting to take its toll. So now I am still at the fire dept and also working as a paramedic in Jasper county. All this time this has been my schedule: 48 hrs on (24 at the fire dept and 24 at my EMS job) then 1 day off. For 11 years now I have been working this schedule.

Ok, on to helis. I decided that since I was working hard then I should play hard, right? So I headed up to Atlanta and hunted down a hobby store that sold helis. Met a guy named Robert who has become a great person to deal with and bought a TREX 450 se. He told me to buy a sim but I wouldn't listen. Just wanted to fly. Got home and assembled the heli myself with instructions. Well, after my maiden flight and crash, I decided a sim was probably a good idea. Saved up and bought one. Anytime I had an issue with my heli, I would call Robert. He would tell me to come on up to the shop (100 mile journey from Milledgeville) and he would help me. When I would walk in, he would listen to my problem, Then send me to the back with my tools and whatever parts I needed to fix it with a brief description of what to do. The first time I didn't understand why he wouldn't do it for me or stand over me and watch but then I realized that he wanted me to learn and understand what I was doing, not just stand back and watch. So this is what I did and my trips to Atlanta gradually ended. Soon I was sitting in front of my heli and it was making sense to me. All the different components and how they interacted with each other to make it fly. Now If I do have a problem, I can go right to the source and repair. I might send out a post on RR just to confirm what Imp thinking and then go to work. During my time there have been crashes of course and my workmates will walk by me and say "ouch". Then an hour later they are asking me if I have another heli or is that the one they saw in pieces. To their amazement I would have it fixed and back up in the air. I decided on a smaller electric because it would give me the option of flying in one of our engine bays at work if the weather was bad. I didn't know at the time that it is more challenging to fly a smaller heli than a bigger one.

I have learned all orientations of flight. I started tail in hovers, then on to tail in circles around me. Next I moved on to side in on both sides and making FF circles around me. Next I tackled nose in. This opened up all the doors for me learning in this systematic way. I love to fly nose in in our engine bay at work which is one truck shy of being full. This gives me a very limited space to fly in which requires absolute precision. I have moved on to inverted flight nose and tail in and am learning advanced 3D now. My latest "trick" is an inverted tail first hurricane. Now, by all means, I know you do not want your helicopters to do this. Just letting you know my rate of advancement. All this has occurred in 1 year. That was when I picked up my TREX. Prior to that I had never touched anything r/c, no cars, planes, nothing. The closest thing to r/c before that was controlling the end of our 95 ft ladder on our aerial truck at work. That's where I get my need and want for precision from. No room for mistakes when you are putting it within inches of a building. I have since met a guy in town that flys a Raptor 30 and 90. He is a very conservative pilot and has never done anything other than basic flight. He asked me the other day if I wanted to take his 30 up. Of course I did then he let me take up his 90. Both are nitros. He has told me that he has never met anyone who has picked up a heli as quick as me and he has been flying for many many years. Now I am his test pilot. Another guy I met in Denver where my family lives tells me the same thing. He says it is unbelievable. I do have alot of hours on my heli as it goes everywhere with me. I carry it to both jobs and anytime I have some downtime, Im flying. I probably average at least 6 packs a day. I LOVE TO FLY HELIS! This has almost become an obsession. Ever since I was young I have been fascinated with them.

As far as my education goes that is it. If you are looking for an college degree in engineering than I guess Im out. But, if your looking for someone who has a passion for helis, great attitude, hard worker, quick learner, and a damn good pilot then Im your man. Trust me, I understand why these things fly and how. I would need to transfer that over to your helis and learn the system which I am perfectly capable of doing

Here is a short video of some nose in. Sorry, had to through in some 3D although I know you wouldnt want your heli doing this!

http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p232/amandahamlin/?action=view&current=MOV05571.flv

Yea, its kinda a crappy video. Shot with a Sony Cybershot and my buddy aint no proffesional as you can probably tell by him asking me how much time it will shoot.

Thanks for looking! Any suggestions are welcome!

bullaculla
12-10-2007, 10:09 PM
No piroflips or autorotations? ;)

jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 10:23 PM
Ill work on my piro flips for an I-Max film. Autos are no problem!

bullaculla
12-10-2007, 10:25 PM
I will admit that it was very stable for that little bird. Good stuff :)

Dilbeck
12-10-2007, 10:26 PM
Interesting, not to bust your bubble but their are hundreds of guys that can fly like that, try something a little bigger and 3 times more powerfull then you will only come up the bottom of some of the guys that has the same passion as yours but has been flying for 2-5 -10 years, a lot of people love pro basketball, football, boxing. these guys are pros and are paid accordingly! But keep after it the passion and love will help. Also flying is one thing but untel you are building your own helis will you advance into a true pro. If you dont build and tweek your own heli to your self you will always be limited to someone elses setup.

jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 10:30 PM
I have "built and tweaked" my own heli. Also have flown bigger and more powerful helis as stated in my first post. I dont think I am the best out there but am very good with stable, precision flight.

bullaculla
12-10-2007, 10:33 PM
If Jhamlin jr can hover the little trex like that, bigger more stable birds will be much easier.

jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 10:39 PM
Thanks bullaculla and yes, they are easier to fly for me. By the way, your stretched TREX is SHHAARRP!

As far as "hundreds" of people that can fly like me, Im sure there is but not all want or dream of being a AP pilot. Also, I bet the majority of them cant say they have never touched anything R/C till a year ago.

Dilbeck
12-10-2007, 10:53 PM
lets check out those videos then cause i didnt see anything i havent seen that my 7 year old cant do! If we are going to brag about something lets see the proof in the pudding>>>>>Buy the way you can fly better than me with a trex 450.

jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 11:14 PM
I showed you a video. I am not bragging at all, just showing where Im at with my heli. Dude, you seem bitter. Trust me, in my line of work, you have to have thick skin so your bitterness and insults dont bother me. I would like to see a video of your 7 yr old taking off nose in and landing nose in though.

jhamlinjr
12-10-2007, 11:21 PM
Double posted. Sorry!

furyphoto
12-11-2007, 03:19 AM
Are you saying that you are going to send this "description" to a firm as part of a resume? If so, here are my suggestions...

If you want a professional job, make a professional application.

- Write a formal letter, in a proper business letter format. ("Dear Sirs", etc) Make it clear, concise, and short. Your description is too flowery, and unnecessarily long. I would say shorten it to about 1/3 of it's current length. Focus on relevant information. Also, don't ever apologize for anything in a job application, it shows insecurity. If it's not a positive point, don't bring it up. This is an advertisement for you, sell on your benefits.

- If you are going to send them a video, film a better one. Do the kind of flying that the firm will want to see so that you don't have to defend the video quality, or your 3D in the sample video. Wear something more professional than shorts and a t-shirt in the video.

- Your control of a small heli is good, and you would have no problem moving into flying for stills straight away. So what if 1000 other people can fly like that, most of them aren't after the job. Your skills are relevant. It doesn't matter if others can fly better than you. (so don't listen to the derogatory comments of other posters!)

- I have seen a lot of resumes over the years, the ones that are presented the most professionally almost always make it to the top of the pile. If I was looking to hire you, I wouldn't want your life story, just your relevant qualifications.

Don't mean to dig at your introduction, but I think this is the kind of feedback you were after with this thread. If I was in charge of hiring, the presentation I have talked about would be what I would be looking for. But then I'm not perfect, who ends a sentence with "for"?

-A

Windbreaker
12-11-2007, 06:37 AM
Don't forget: Show samples of your work.

Flying isn't the only important aspect of the job. Being able to find a good vantage point and getting the shot are more important. At the very least show that you can put a helicopter into various positions and hold. Or move along a particular course.

As a former chief photographer of a newspaper, I saw a lot of photographer applicants. What made a candidate stand out was the photos in the portfolio. Not the cameras nor the gear. And the portfolio had to reflect the best that person had. Excuses meant rejection. With all the time needed to create a collection of the best work, there's no reasonable excuse for showing off junk.

A well-written letter and a proper resume helps. Avoid the folksy tone. It's too familiar and can put off someone who doesn't already know you. A poorly written resume is a black mark. One came to me that referred to the wrong newspaper!

Also, if a person came in dressed like a slob, they got little or no serious attention. Sloppy appearance meant the candidate wasn't considerate enough to at least look respectful. So while it might seem odd to dress neatly when you're in the field with your helicopter, you need to remind yourself that you're front of the camera and, therefore, in front of a potential employer. It will be a first impression and you don't want to mess that up.

jhamlinjr
12-11-2007, 06:45 AM
Thanks furyphoto! That is the feedback I was looking for. I had 4 questions possed to me by this firm and I had to touch on them in my Email. A formal resume wasnt requested. Neither was a video but I sent it because I wanted to show interest and proof although at some point Im sure I would have to fly for them. Wasnt planned, just happened to remember I had a camera in my truck that day. There had been correspondence between me and the company prior to this email. I have already had an interview and just waiting to hear back. Sounds good but is just taking a while and I wanted to see what all is out there.

I guess I should have been more descriptive. This is a company that designs UAVs for AP and the military. That is why photography shots were not that big of an issue. And trust me, I would never go to an interview dressed like that. The CEO must have liked the video as he has shown it off in the office to other workers.

jhamlinjr
12-11-2007, 09:30 PM
So....cool. Thanks you guys for the constructive criticism. I apparently have some work to do as far as my presentation goes although I got an interview based on the letter posted. Also, I have never not got an job I have interviewed for. I was asked to produce a letter answering 4 questions: My work experience, my education, my building experience, and type of flying I do. As far as looking like a "slob", I spend 48hrs dressed in a very professional uniform, I deserve to dress down on my day off. If I was doing a formal interview, then I would be dressed appropriatly. I will reach my goal, trust me, Im very goal oriented. That is how I got where I am in emergency services.

Take care.

sleddog7
12-11-2007, 10:49 PM
lets check out those videos then cause i didnt see anything i havent seen that my 7 year old cant do! If we are going to brag about something lets see the proof in the pudding>>>>>Buy the way you can fly better than me with a trex 450.

WOW! That's a pretty rough comment to a guy NOT claiming to be a 'Top Gun' heli pilot.

Relax Dil', just relax. We don't "burst bubbles" here for no good reason.

Mike

jhamlinjr
12-11-2007, 11:39 PM
Dont worry, he didnt bust my bubble. My thoughts on unprovoked negative comments like that are that they come from unhappy people that have issues in their life that they must impose on others. Might not be true but thats just my experience. Like I said, I will reach my goal. I always do. This forum is just one avenue in a large city of possibilities.

Thanks!

Windbreaker
12-12-2007, 02:33 AM
I guess I should have been more descriptive. This is a company that designs UAVs for AP and the military. That is why photography shots were not that big of an issue. And trust me, I would never go to an interview dressed like that. The CEO must have liked the video as he has shown it off in the office to other workers.

If it's military UAV's then your portfolio might have to contain bullseyes and marksmanship scoresheets instead of 11x14 prints!! :lol:

Good luck on the job prospecting. If you're hired, this sounds like it could be a lot of fun!

Don't know if you saw the video of a helicopter carrying a couple of full-auto 12-ga shotguns. But if the targeting system can lock onto a target independently of the helicopter's movements, imagine how hard it would be for the bad guys to knock it down while it does some radical maneuvers.

Military application of UAVs is only in its infancy. Getting involved in R&D or concept development at this stage could be immensely interesting.

ron gill
12-12-2007, 05:33 PM
if i may chime in,

well put Andrew, in my humble opinion i think your suggestions should be taken
seriously.

jhamlinjr, with integrity and a little passion you will make it!

so where are the vids of the nose in take off and pero's with a mount:rollinghu hu



ron

jhamlinjr
12-12-2007, 06:31 PM
If your talking about piros with a AA-12 gauge mounted, then I think it would be hard to flim while everyone scrambles for cover.

I agree and would probably be touching on all his suggestions already if it was a different company. The person doing the hiring and I have spoken before the letter written and he already had an impression of me which is a good one. He also is a very "down to earth" person.

Dont think the suggestions arent appreciated as they are. Just know that I have the same beliefs you guys do in presentation of myself. I guess it was different this time due to the reationship established prior. Maybe I should have written something different in the beginning of this post that was more tailored to what I was trying to accomplish here. Anyway, to late now so I will live and learn from this.

Thanks again guys!

ErichF
12-12-2007, 07:35 PM
TMI-too much information.

I didn't get past the Wife and three kids comment. We don't need your life's story about grocery stores and such. I hope that's not the cover letter of your CV.

A good resume that people will actually read is only three pages...cover letter, skills and work history, and references. Frankly, if you can target the business directly, and get all that on ONE page, even better.

Employers don't wanna read a newspaper about someone...and therefore "file" them appropriately.

Just some food for thought.

Erich

jhamlinjr
12-12-2007, 08:23 PM
I was asked about my work history, that was part of my work history. This was the format that was appropriate for what was being requested of me by the company. It got me an interview so that should tell you that this was what they were looking for. It was for a specific person and he was satisfied or I wouldnt have been interviewed. Like I said in my last post, It wasnt tailored for this forum and I should have not posted it. I should have given a brief description of myself and what I would like to do. My mistake and lesson learned. One thing I can credit myself with is being humble. I am not perfect and I learn stuff everyday and will continue to learn until the day I leave this earth.

crewchief
12-12-2007, 10:34 PM
One thing I can credit myself with is being humble.Or as I like to say, it's my humility that makes me great! ;)

jascamera
12-13-2007, 12:03 PM
I am not here for the debate. If I got a job, I might hire you as my pilot, I like to be on the camera side instead of flying. I use to love 3D, so I follow closely to 3D people. Take a look at this pilot, Justin Chi. At the time of this video he was 4.5 years old, now he is 5.5 years so he must gotten a whole better.

http://runryder.com/rrtv.htm?v=/helicopter/rrTV-Photo/funflies/LasVegasFeb2007/VegasFeb07-Sat-Justin-Chi.wmv

jhamlinjr
12-13-2007, 12:21 PM
Yea, I have seen him fly before. The word "prodigy" comes to mind when I see him fly. Can you imagine what that little fella is going to be doing in his teens??!!