I didn't have a straight path to aviation. I dropped out of the University of Montana - I was skiing more than studying, finished with a 2.88 GPA - moved back to Bellevue, Washington, and got a job at Home Depot. Pretty aimless, if I'm being honest.

Then my dad did something that changed everything. For my birthday around 2001, he bought me a 30-minute intro flight at Boeing Field. I didn't know what to expect. But when that helicopter lifted off the ground, something clicked. Little did I know, that flight would change my life.

September 11 happened that same year and slowed things down. But it didn't kill the passion. I kept at it - working different jobs, moving around, chasing flight hours whenever I could. It took me a year and three months to earn my private certificate. I spent over $3,500 on private ground school alone. Another $2,500 on top of that for Part 141 ground instruction. I wasn't rich. I just wouldn't quit.

Eventually I earned my CFI and started teaching. Once I was on the other side of it, I could see exactly what students needed that most ground schools weren't providing. So I started writing.

I've personally trained more than 250 helicopter pilots in the cockpit, and thousands more through my books and online courses. 3G Heli Prep is the most direct version of what I do - no hourly rate, no scheduling conflicts, just the knowledge you need to pass your checkride and earn your license.