Helicopter pilot highly regarded

After his first ride in a helicopter, Bret W. Ahler told his parents he had to be a pilot.

“His mom told him he could do anything he wanted, but he had to go to college first,” recalled his dad, Steve Ahler, of Worley, Idaho.

Bret Ahler fulfilled his mom’s wishes by obtaining a two-year degree from Spokane Community College. While he was getting his degree, he took flight lessons at Inland Helicopters Inc.

He died while piloting a helicopter that crashed Friday in a logging operation in northern Pend Oreille County, law enforcement officials said.

The cause of the accident is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Those who knew Bret Ahler, 24, said he was an extremely skilled pilot.

“Bret was one of the quickest learning students I ever had, a sharp fellow,” said David Valenti, part-owner of Inland Helicopters Inc. “He always seemed to be two or three steps ahead of everybody.”

Bret’s dad, who also has flown helicopters, said his son was highly certified. Father and son flew together often.

“He was fantastically good,” said Steve Ahler. “Probably the best ride you’ll ever get.”

Bret Ahler started flying when he was 18 years old, his dad said. The son got his private and commercial pilot’s licenses at Inland Helicopters Inc., where he also became certified as a helicopter instructor.

He worked as a flight instructor at Inland Helicopters Inc. until early 2005 when he left to work for Petroleum Helicopter International in Louisiana, his dad said. Bret Ahler flew crews and test engineers to offshore oil rigs. He worked during the hurricane season that included Katrina and Rita.

He moved back to the Inland Northwest in late fall after he was offered a job with Horizon Helicopters of LeClede, Idaho.

At the time of the crash, Bret Ahler was flying a Kaman K-600 helicopter at a logging site on national forest land near Sullivan Lake, about 15 miles northeast of Ione, Wash.

“Logging is a hard field to be in. It’s more difficult than, say, giving tours,” Valenti said, referring to the difficulty level. “It’s also a production-oriented field, which requires some amount of speed.”

While piloting for the logging firm, Bret Ahler lived in a trailer that he hauled around with him from site to site, including Thompson Falls and St. Regis, Mont.

“He had it set up with satellite television and high-speed Internet,” his dad said.

Bret Ahler was born and raised in Walla Walla. He was a runner, a weightlifter and loved water sports, “but not for competition – for health reasons,” his dad said. His son was active in stocks, futures and equities.

“He was a real good, energetic person,” his dad said. “He always had a smile on his face. And if I’ve ever known a person who could come up with great gifts, it was him.”

Valenti said Bret Ahler had more than one family. He was a member of the helicopter pilot family, a tight-knit group.

“All the tacky things that a person could say are true of Bret,” Valenti said. “We now have a gap in the helicopter community. We’re going to miss him.”