First Navy Helicopter Pilot to Log "10,000 Accident-Free Flight Hours"

Naval Aviation Command Instructor Park Gihyeon
Trained a total of 378 helicopter pilots

A helicopter pilot has become the first in Navy history to log 10,000 accident-free flight hours. The pilot is Park Gihyeon, a flight training instructor with the 609th Education and Training Wing of the Navy Aviation Command.

Unlike land-based flights, maritime flights involve numerous weather-related variables, including sea fog, and require intense concentration and thorough preparation. The nature of the missions also often requires pilots to fly for extended periods over the sea at low altitudes (below 500 feet) and low speeds (below 60 knots).

Born in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, Park dreamed of becoming an officer from a young age and admired the Navy and Marine Corps, influenced by his father, who served in the military for 27 years. After graduating from the Department of Flight Operation at Korea Aerospace University, he was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy in June 1991 and began his career as a helicopter pilot. Since starting maritime security missions as a Navy helicopter pilot in 1992, he has carried out flight missions for 34 years while adhering to safety procedures.

Park Gihyeon, a flight training instructor with the 609th Education and Training Wing of the Navy Aviation Command, poses for a commemorative photo on the apron at Mokpo Base before a training flight. Photo by the Navy.

Park served as an active-duty pilot for 19 years and six months, carrying out various operational flights over the sea, before retiring from the Navy as a lieutenant commander in 2010. After being appointed as a civilian Navy flight instructor the following year, he spent 15 years at the Aviation Command's Flight Training Squadron helping train helicopter pilots. To date, he has trained a total of 378 pilots: 347 for the Navy, 28 for the Marine Corps, and three for the Air Force.

Park has flown a range of aircraft, starting with the OH-23GT training helicopter, followed by the 500MD light attack helicopter, the ALT-III maritime operations helicopter, and the UH-60 and UH-1H maritime utility helicopters. He currently operates the Bell 505 training helicopter, instructing the next generation of pilots.

Park has consistently emphasized that flight safety comes first and has continually strengthened his instructor capabilities, including his piloting skills and professional knowledge. He was selected as the Navy Aviation Command instructor with the most flight hours for three consecutive years from 2016 to 2018, and again in 2022.

"Behind the figure of 10,000 hours are not only my determination to follow the basics at every moment, but also the many fellow service members who worked alongside me, including pilots, air traffic controllers, and maintenance personnel who supported us on the ground," Park said. "I will continue to do my utmost to train elite helicopter pilots who protect the seas from the skies."

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