Flight Path: Chris Baur Pilot, aerospace executive, The Woodlands, Texas, USA Quick Facts CURRENT JOB: I am president and CEO of Hughes Aerospace Corp. and lead a team of incredible people who create and maintain instrument flight procedures for all types of aircraft worldwide, especially helicopters and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. I am also the industry chair of the US Helicopter Safety Team (USHST). Lastly, I’m a senior captain and line check pilot at United Airlines, enthusiastically connecting people to their helicopter flights all over the globe. FIRST VERTICAL AVIATION JOB: I was an OH-58A scout pilot in the US Army, an HH-65A search-and-rescue (SAR) pilot in the US Coast Guard, an HH-60G combat SAR pilot in the US Air Force, and a law enforcement pilot with the US Customs Service. My first civilian job was as a Bell 206 charter pilot in New York City. It was the first time I was presented with my own key to a helicopter and flew paying passengers. FAVORITE HELICOPTER: I’ve flown 14 helicopters in commercial, military, and government service. The Robinson R66 is the first helicopter I owned, and on a whim I flew my family from Houston to New York City for the holidays—a trip of a lifetime! I set an endurance record during an oceanic rescue in the Sikorsky HH-60G, flying over 16 hours. [I’ve done] formation and sling loads in the Huey. I flew the HH-65A, performing rescue hoists and night shipboard landings aboard Coast Guard cutters. Night-vision goggles [missions] in the OH-58 on the Korean Demilitarized Zone. They’re all my favorites. How did you decide helicopter aviation was the career for you? Honestly, helicopters found me. I started flying airplanes in 1979 and didn’t have exposure to helicopters until I enlisted in the army. My first helicopter flight was in a UH-1 Huey. That’s all it took. Eventually, I earned my helicopter ATP and CFI/II and have enjoyed experiencing much of what can and probably shouldn’t be done in a helicopter! How did you get to your current position? A friend once told people that when it comes to doing things, there’s the easy way, the hard way, and the Baur way, and if you work with me, you don’t get to eat, sleep, or go to the bathroom. My career hasn’t been a linear projection but a journey of global adventures in aerospace, meeting people, working together to solve problems, pioneering new solutions resulting in safer, more efficient and dependable flying. I’ve flown continuously throughout my career, often multiple aircraft at the same time. Following the events of 9/11, I volunteered to help change aviation security. That led me in another direction and I became a pioneer in the global performance-based navigation, or PBN, movement. In a 1996 Newsweek article, I was coined an “easygoing danger lover,” but perhaps I just couldn’t hold a job. What are your career goals? Volunteer whenever and however I can and inspire others to do so. I lied about my age so I could be a volunteer fireman and medic. I volunteered in aviation security after 9/11. When you give back to others, you get far more in return. What advice would you give to someone pursuing your path? Try to find an easier path than I did, unless you like to build your character. But the path with more character will instill confidence and carry you through the rough patches. If everyone is discouraging you, keep going; you are probably on to something. Who inspires or has inspired you? Amelia Earhart is my childhood hero. Everyday people who put themselves in harm’s way for others and ask nothing in return. Tell us about your most memorable helicopter flight. I’ve had so many I don’t know where to begin. I was out one night in the North Atlantic and the ship wasn’t where it was supposed to be; I was low on fuel, and it was very low IFR in heavy seas. Another time, we were plugging the tanker in heavy weather and turbulence, with a bad drogue and no other options. The aircraft was icing up, and I realized I couldn’t descend, climb, or stay where I was. Other memorable moments: MD 500 engine failure on a test flight; losing an engine in IMC; filming the first season of CBS’s Tour of Duty as a stunt pilot; browning out in the desert on goggles; following a car back to a stash house with US$4 million; having a ground wire come loose and wrap around the pitch control link; my first dolly landing in a BK 117 at night in a gusty crosswind. I also had a main-rotor gearbox fail and yet another catch on fire, both over water. A different time, the tail-rotor gearbox failed and the T-tail broke off in flight. Then there’s my first landing at the East 60th Street Heliport in Manhattan when it was full. There are more, but those are just the helicopter ones that just hovered into my head. What still excites you about helicopter aviation? It’s a unique, select, challenging fraternity. Composed of those who aren’t afraid to get wet or dirty, or the faint of heart. What challenges you about helicopter aviation? Having a helicopter community without fatal accidents. We need a lot more weather cameras with a sufficient density in every state to assist pilots in decision-making. Hughes worked with the FAA to develop and implement ZK low-altitude airways, but the agency has been slow to support the connectivity architecture for these and COPTER IFR departures. I’ve been working with our team at the USHST to increase the organization’s relevance in the helicopter community. We’re improving the number and type of touchpoints, creating more opportunities for helicopter safety in our community. We’ve established the USHST Foundation as a nonprofit and recently announced our Peer Pilot Mental Health Program, the first of its kind to assist helicopter pilots and crews with mental health issues. We’ve bolstered our partnerships with the FAA and industry, developing safety videos, podcasts, and webinars. Hughes has contributed its app to USHST members as an additional safety tool and, along with other OEMS, provided additional resources to improve helicopter safety. What’s the biggest threat to the helicopter industry? We need to continue working together on safety, noise, and accessibility to airspace. Encourage the next generation to have a career in aviation—helicopter aviation in particular. Complete this sentence: I know I picked the right career when … I’ve never looked at my watch and wanted to be anywhere else. Whenever a helicopter flies overhead, I still stop and look. When we’re indoors, we try to guess the type of helicopter overhead based on the sound/pitch and check FlightAware to see who’s guessed correctly. Honestly, I’ve never really worked a day in my life. Complete this sentence: I love my job, but I’d rather work for a paper company in Scranton when … Never. Like most pilots, I loathe paperwork. I cannot overstate my gratitude for the gift of being a pilot or thank all the people who’ve encouraged and helped me—and all those who didn’t; they inspired me to do even more.
