Wrapping Up 2025 at Monadnock Choppers
Owner, Kevin, making sure the helicopter is pre-flighted and ready for some flight training.
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to look back on everything that made this year so special at Monadnock Choppers. From student milestones and instructor growth, to community events and aircraft upgrades, this year was full of progress, learning, and a whole lot of flying. We are especially grateful to Monadnock Choppers owner and Chief Pilot, Kevin, who has made all of this possible.
Pilot Accomplishments We’re Proud Of
Nothing excites us more than watching pilots reach new milestones, and this year delivered in a big way. Our pilots could not have gotten there without the dedicated team of instructors we are lucky to have. In particular, Matthew Santonastaso, put in an incredible amount of time this year, getting several students through the finish line of their training. Check out our blog post on Matt from earlier this year!
Helicopter Training Highlights
Eric after passing his PPL Checkride!
Eric was a superstar this year and went from zero to hero in a few short months - completing his PPL in record time! Eric flew his first solo in March, and passed his Private Pilot Checkride in June. Not only that, but Eric was also the first checkride in our new Enstrom. This set the stage for several other students to prepare for their checkrides shortly after. A huge accomplishment for Eric and we couldn’t be more excited for him!
Joe ready to drop some skydivers!
Joe was our next helicopter student up, passing his Commercial Pilot Checkride and earning his Certificate in early August. We put him right to work and he was a superstar, flying our Instructor Extraordinaire, Matt, for not one but two skydiving jumps for an enthusiastic group. Joe has been a longtime Monadnock Choppers pilot, receiving his rotorcraft and fixed-wing ratings with us. He also passed his Flight Instructor and Fundamentals of Flight Instruction FAA exams this year, and will be working towards his CFI in 2026. Congrats, Joe!
Chelsea on a solo flight.
Chelsea has also been a superstar student this year, passing her Private Pilot Checkride for Certificate in October. Chelsea embodies a dedicated flight student, spending her free time at the hangar helping with aircraft maintenance, flying in everything she can, and in general helping to keep operations running smoothly. You will most likely find her zipping around on the one wheel, designing and creating some of our fabulous appeal, helping with social media, or flying as much as she can. Check out our blog on Chelsea’s Journey from this year.
Keith doing some hover practice.
Finally, Keith made some serious progress towards his rotorcraft rating this year, completing his first solo and solo x-countries. Keith has flown airplanes professionally, and is also a fan of flying pretty much any aircraft we have in the fleet. Often you will see him hoping from the helicopter to the Skyhawk to the Bonanza just for fun. Keith has also been enormously gracious about letting us capture footage during his flights for our website. 2026 will be Keith’s year to add his rotorcraft rating!
Airplane Training Highlights
David after a successful PPL checkride
The year started strong for our fixed-wing pilots, with David passing his checkride for Private Pilot Certificate in March. David works locally, and has been steadily and methodically checking off the private pilot requirements over the last year around his many other obligations. He is incredibly hardworking, and the first one to try new experiences such as flying to the ice runway, some seaplane flying and being a videographer for formation flights. We look forward to helping David continue on his journey!
Caeden after passing his checkride for PPL.
Caeden was next up for checkride, earning his Private Pilot Certificate in June. This is especially noteworthy because Caeden is one of our youngest pilots, and he started flying after being inspired and supported by his grandfather, who is also a pilot. Now Caeden can be PIC when flying with his grandfather! The next step for this young man is an instrument rating, and we are excited to see him continue on his aviation journey.
We were also thrilled that so many pilots worked on advanced ratings such as tailwheel endorsements and high performance/complex endorsements. The Champ and Bonanza worked hard this year, with several students receiving their sign-offs and ability to rent these unique and fun aircraft. Griffin, John, Ben and Rowdy completed their tailwheel endorsements, and David and Sawyer completed their high performance endorsements this year. Congratulations, pilots!
Griffin finishing his tailwheel.
Rowdy finishing his tailwheel.
Dave from his Bonanza training.
Ben finishing his tailwheel.
All of these achievements represent dedication, consistency, and trust in the process—and we couldn’t be more proud of every pilot who put in the work.
Changes, Growth, and Aircraft Upgrades
Welcome to the Bananas Champ!
This year also brought transition and growth within our team. We said a heartfelt see you later to Caleb, thanking him for his contributions and wishing him nothing but blue skies ahead. We were excited to welcome David as a new instructor, and we’re grateful to have his experience and enthusiasm on board. We added another tailwheel options to the fleet! Our beautiful new (to us) Champ, which has earned the affectionate nickname and art of “Bananas Champ” 🍌✈️. On the equipment side, we also completed avionics upgrades to our training PA 120/140 Cherokee, continuing our commitment to safety, reliability, and giving our students modern, capable aircraft to train in.
A Year Full of Community and Events
Flying is better when it’s shared, and this year we were fortunate to host and participate in some memorable and fun events:
Runway 5K & Open House, complete with helicopter charity rides,
Sun ’n Fun trip, a first time for some of our pilots,
Young Eagles flights, introducing the next generation to aviation,
Formation flights, exciting photo ops and training,
Our 5-Year Anniversary Party, five years of flying, learning, and community, 🎉
Hot Air Balloon rides, courtesy of old friends,
Golf Ball Raffle Drop at Kurn Hattin, supporting a great cause.
Balloon flights with Carl.
A fun weekend at Sun’N’Fun.
Helicopter Charity Rides.
Giving back with donations!
Formation Flight with the Champs and Carbon Cubs.
Inspiring some future aviators at the EAA Young Eagles event.
As we turn the page to a new year, we’re filled with gratitude—for our students, instructors, staff, and the greater Monadnock aviation community. Thank you for flying with us, supporting us, and being part of our journey.
Next year, Monadnock Choppers will continue to grow—not just in flight hours, but in community. We will continue adding to our facilities and fleet, and see more students take their very first helicopter and airplane lessons, conquer checkrides, seek advanced training, and fly off with the kind of confidence that comes from hard work and dedication.
Happy Holidays and blue skies from all of us at Monadnock Choppers. We can't wait to fly with you in 2026! 🎄🚁✈️
