Gregory Hachtel

Aerial Survey Pilot

Where do you live? 

Denver, CO

How long have you been flying or working in Aviation?

I started learning how to fly in 2015 up in Casper, Wyoming.

What makes Sol a special place to work?

The atmosphere, organizational structure, and day-to-day operations make for a great quality of life.

Which of our company’s core values (Safety, Hard Work, Integrity, and The Little Things Matter) resonates the most with you?

Safety.  Flying is my passion, and I want to continue experiencing and enjoying decades to come.  More important, my desire to come home to my family after every flight.  Having safety at the forefront of every pre-flight and PIC decision while in flight, ensures that both things can happen.

Where is your favorite place that you have traveled to for work?

So far, Southern California. The scenery is beautiful and it also allowed me the opportunity to see my best friend, Jack, and get to know his friends and community better.

What do you like most about your job?

Getting to see different parts of the country, and met tons of amazing people throughout the aviation industry all while through the lens of GA.

What inspired you to choose this career path?

I refuse to be the 1500 CFI that goes from a C-172 to an airliner. I wanted read-world experience and to gain experience in larger and larger aircraft on my path to the airlines.

What is your favorite way to spend a day off? 

In the outdoors with my family.

What excites you about our work?

Getting the opportunity to play a role in how first responders, governments, and insurance companies handle post-catastrophe priorities.

Favorite cuisine?

Italian

What makes Sol stand out from the competition? 

The saying “the right way over the easy way” I think best sums up how Sol functions.  Sol take the time, energy and money to ensure every pilot and plane is taken care of.  No squawk is too small when it comes to Sol and striving to ensure that these 50-year-old planes are in as good, if not better shape, than when they left the factory floor.  Furthermore, their commitment to safety is evident in their investment in panel upgrades throughout the fleet, making these planes even more safe.

What are the first three things on your bucket list? 

Visit all 7 Continents, Break 80 (in golf), and maintain my CFI long enough to teach my kids and/or nieces and nephews how to fly.

What are your future ambitions? 

Within 20 years I’d like to be a wide-body Captain.

What is one moment in your life that you would want to relive? 

Eloping in Moab with my wife

What or who is your inspiration? Why so? 

I want to be lying on my deathbed (hopefully in many, many years) and be proud of the younger me, the life I’ve lived, the person I am/was and the legacy I’ve left behind.

Is there something in life you can not live without?

The love and support of my family. Life is lonely without it!