Bell Helicopter Training Academy Update:

Skilled helicopter pilot and Chief Flight Instructor of the Bell Helicopter Training Academy (BTA), Marty Wright was conducting a normal training session with the U.S. Park Police pilots in a Bell 412 when one of his trainees witnessed a fighter jet crash. After seeing the “fireball”, Marty said, “Training is over for now,” and flew towards the crash. Thinking quickly, Marty and his co-pilot called the Andrews Air Field tower for help.

Marty located the jet pilot as his parachute was floating down, made sure he was okay after landing and lent the pilot a cell phone to call his wife. The flight instructor also coordinated with the rescue aircraft to show them where the jet pilot and the wreckage was located. For his quick assistance, the U.S. Park Police awarded Marty an appreciation award.

Marty is no stranger to rescue missions. His 22 years flying in the Marine Corps have taught him how to handle each situation with a calm demeanor. “The biggest thing to do when conducting a rescue mission is to stay calm and be there to help,” he says. “Try not to get in the way once the experts get on site and do your best to coordinate efforts until they ask you to leave.”

Marty came to Bell Helicopter to work on the V-22 Osprey program and became a supervisor for the development of a pilot training course. After a few years, he was named the Chief Flight Instructor of the BTA, a role he currently holds today. “The interesting thing about the Bell Helicopter Training Academy is that we do training here that you can’t get anywhere else in the world,” said Marty. “It is due to the quality of flight instructors we hire and the amount of training we put them through before they work with customers. All of our flight instructors have no fewer than 2,500 flight hours and they provide a safety net for our customers and students to learn.”

Marty’s recent award is one of the many examples of how the BTA flight instructors have used their vast flight experience and training to carefully and quickly assist others. It is through situations like these that our pilots prove why they are the best flight instructors to learn from.