Three Pilots, One Lesson: Always Triple-Check Your Instructor

Oct 06, 2025

When it comes to flight training, sometimes the biggest obstacles aren’t in the air — they’re in the paperwork. In today’s episode, Kenny Keller teams up with Chris Nelson, H.O.G.S. graduate, commercial pilot, and owner of the H.O.G.S. Robinson R-22, to discuss one of the most common (and costly) mistakes they see among helicopter students: missing endorsements, incorrect logbook entries, and incomplete requirements.



The Hard Lesson: Paperwork Can Ground You

In this story, Kenny shares the experience of a recent Final Approach Course student who showed up ready to test — but wasn’t actually eligible for the check-ride.

The reason?
Their logbook was filled out incorrectly, endorsements were missing, and flight times didn’t match the FAA requirements.

Unfortunately, this isn’t rare. In fact, Kenny estimates that nearly 50% of all Final Approach Course students arrive with one or more of these issues.
Some are missing a simple signature. Others have time logged incorrectly — like listing cross-country or night flight that doesn’t meet the definition. And some find out their training wasn’t endorsed by the right instructor at all.

 

 

Chris Nelson: From FAC Student to Helicopter Owner

Joining Kenny in today’s video is Chris Nelson, who knows the process inside and out.
Chris completed his Commercial Pilot Rating through H.O.G.S. and has since gone on to own the H.O.G.S. R-22 — the same helicopter used by current students in the Final Approach Course.

Beyond that, Chris flies his MD Helicopter, the red turbine featured in this episode, and remains deeply connected in the helicopter community — often helping other pilots and flight schools bridge the gap between training and real-world flying.

Chris’s story represents the ideal outcome of what H.O.G.S. stands for: proper training, mentorship, and the confidence to move forward safely and successfully.


Triple-Check Everything

As Kenny puts it, “You can’t assume someone else handled it for you — because when you’re sitting with the examiner, you’re the one responsible.

That means before your check-ride, you should:

  • Review every endorsement — make sure it’s signed, dated, and matches the correct regulation.

  • Compare your logbook totals to the FAA requirements for your certificate or rating.

  • Confirm instructor qualifications for each stage of training.

These steps may sound simple, but they prevent one of the most frustrating outcomes: traveling for your check-ride only to find out you’re missing something small that stops the whole process.


Finish What You Started

The Final Approach Course was designed for exactly these situations — helping students tie up loose ends, fix missing requirements, and finish their training the right way.

📍 Now booking for October.
👉 Visit FinalApproachCourse.com or email [email protected] to secure your spot.