NATA Industry Excellence Award Recipients Continued from page 33 here is doing a pretty good job, with what we feel is a very good safety record,” Heilpern stated. “Safety is an everyday thing here: we’re constantly training our staff, vigilantly keeping an eye out for any problems to address, and always being supportive of our staff wherever we can. Every employee here knows, if they have a question or concern or problem, then they can come to me or Nate and that we’ll be there for whatever they need. If that means we are called to help with a quick turn, or do a lav service, or anything else, then our team knows neither one of us is above that. I think that’s the thing we’re most proud of, that our employees know we fully support them.” Another point of pride for Heilpern: he has never had any job outside of the aviation industry. His first high school job was at Renton Aviation in Renton, Washington, and he’s never looked back. “I’ve been fascinated by airplanes ever since I was a kid growing up in Seattle, and I frankly can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said “One of my earliest memories is of a neighbor building a Starduster 2 biplane in his garage. I don’t know if that one ever got completed, like a lot of home-build projects, but I have a vivid memory of sit- ting in the fuselage at the controls in the garage, wear- ing an old leather aviator’s helmet, like a pilot out of World War I, and just letting my imagination run wild. In some ways, I’m still that kid. I’m the biggest airplane nerd you’ll ever meet. Even after all these years, when an airplane flies overhead I’m looking up to check it out.” Monterey Jet Center turns out to be a per- fect place for an airplane nerd. Heilpern said: “We get a number of vintage and World War II era aircraft here and we’ve been very fortunate to host some of the operators from the Commemorative Air Force, The Collings Foundation, the EAA, and other groups; and it’s been amazing to have been able to have met a few of the veterans who flew as well as those who maintained some of these aircraft when they were in front line service.” “That generation is rapidly disappearing, so to have folks devoted to keeping some of these aircraft flying, and to have had opportunities to assist in that mis- sion, has been very inspiring for a history and airplane geek like me. I ask a lot of questions, by nature, so to get up close and personal, and to learn all about these aircraft from the people who know them best, has truly been one of the greatest perks of the job—and I’ve been even more fortunate to have flown in some of these airplanes.” Aviation Business Journal | 2nd Quarter 2017 35
