WORKING -- Barbara Perrin

-- Story by Greg Risling; photo by Marianna Day Massey

SHE IS

Soaring to new heights

A LOVE OF FLYING

Perrin can stomach the topsy-turvy world of business. Going up thousands

of feet in a helicopter is small potatoes for the woman who has been

jointly running a company for 18 years.

Conjuring up images of helicopters can make some people a little queasy.

Not Perrin. She grew up craving the idea of flying with the birds and she

got her chance.

“I took lessons a long time ago and enjoyed it so much,” she said. “I

liked it enough to do it on a working basis.”

A VIEW FROM ABOVE

Along with partner Rod Anderson, the two opened Helistream Inc. in 1982

at John Wayne Airport. Sharing a helipad with another company, Helistream

offers flight instruction courses, chartered flights and aerial

photography.

It’s the flight instruction that is one of Perrin’s greatest rewards.

Whether it’s teaching future pilots who will run their own business or

pilot a news helicopter, Perrin likes turning aviation novices into

experts.

“What I like most is taking someone who knows hardly anything about

helicopters and then seeing them after several months know how to operate

it,” she said. “We enjoy teaching people. Through foundation and

instruction, we have succeeded through the years.”

AIRING IT OUT

Not all of the company’s services are instructional. Customers wanting to

leave the flying to the experts can still have a good time.

Perrin and Anderson came up with the concept of taking customers to

various spots around Los Angeles and offering them an elegant dinner. For

a few hundred dollars, passengers can have the red carpet treatment. They

can be picked up by a limousine, taken to the airport where a helicopter

and pilot are waiting, and have dinner at one of several airport

restaurants.

“It’s a special night out,” Perrin said. “We can take them day or night

or even at sunset. It’s a good time.”

SATISFYING A NEED

Perrin said customers who take advantage of her company’s services aren’t

doing so because they need to.

“Most to all of our clientele have a general love of aviation,” she

added. “It’s not like they are going to the dentist. They want to fly and

our employees take great pleasure in helping them out with that goal.”