Farewell To Reid!

It has been a long while since the last post. There is a lot to catch up on, and I am sure that in time those posts about the crews pre-season activities will be shared. I wanted to share my thanks with all of those who follow this blog. I have been given an opportunity to move on in my career. I have been the Helitack Supervisor for Zion National Park for going on 6 years. Sometimes the road has been bumpy, sometimes full of danger and excitement. There has been plenty of long days, and some that lacked the ability to capture my memories. Altogether it has been a defining experience to support this program in becoming more than it was when I arrived.

I have accepted a position with Aviation Management as an Aviation Training Specialist. Those who know me will understand that this position combines two loves that I have. One for aviation and its use in resource management, the other for training which is the keystone of every good crew and employee. I hope to join a new team of professional individuals that are striving to support our many DOI field units, and their training needs.

I have left the crew with as much knowledge as I had the time to deliver... I have left them very capable of continuing in a positive and respectable way. It is difficult for me to express in words the mix of emotions that I feel! I watched the crew role out to a fire today, and my heart desired to be with them... My hope is that the next Helicopter Manager to call this crew "theirs", will spend the time, energy, and thought required to continue it's growth. There are no perfect crews, but there are crews with the desire to become perfect... That is what my hope is for this crew, that it never loses that desire. Through my own experience I am keenly aware of the fact that the Helitack Supervisor creates the stage by which the crew will achieve or fail. I hope that my successor is also aware of that, and does his/her best to support this crew in achieving greater things.

I have left the blog to capable hands on the crew... this will be my last post. I would encourage those who have become fans of this blog to continue their support. I too will become a faithful follower of the activities that Zion Helitack has in the future...

Cheers, Have a great Season... and we'll see you on the "flip side" of things!
Michael L. Reid (M.L.)