ALEXIS KALAMARO

Alexis Kalamaro graduated from Bristow Academy in 2003. He now flies for Air Lift in Greece.

"I graduated in 2003 with a Commercial IFR rating. In the summer of 2002 I had the opportunity to work for Erickson Air Crane on a fire fighting contract in Greece. During that summer I collaborated with highly trained high time professionals and met the people who later introduced me to my current employer Air Lift. Knowing or meeting the right people is important in every business and this goes twice for the helicopter business.

Flying in Greece, apart than being one of the most beautiful environments in the world, can be quite challenging at times. Summer winds go up to 55 knots and temperatures can reach 45 degrees Celsius. Greece is a mountainous country so I get to fly high altitudes. I enjoy the diversity and that almost every flight is a new experience.

If you are considering a career in the helicopter business, I have to say that once you get past the first few hours of training and learn how to hover there is no going back. It is not easy at first but once those flight hours increase the job market starts to open up. I have never been happier in my life."
Air Lift is EASA certified and owns 2 Bell 430's, a Twin star and a JetRanger. Their primary work is V.I.P. transportation, although they also fly a lot of video and photo shoots; the company flew over 100 hours of filming for NBC during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Air Lift is now breaking in to the EMS business and is also a JAR 145 certified maintenance facility.