Nathan C. Estes, Edward Little High School class of 1998, completed the U.S. Army’s aviation training as an AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter pilot in July.

The graduation ceremony was held on Aug. 5, in the Army Aviation Museum at Ft. Rucker, Ala., and his parents, Curtis B. and Patricia C. Estes of Auburn, flew out to attend. The Estes were about to get up close to the Apache and were given a tour by their son.

Estes had been at Ft. Rucker for almost two years studying and training with his aviation class of 26 Apache pilots. He first completed the Common Core Initial Entry Rotary Wing training and then went on to Advanced Airframe Qualification Course for the AH-64D Apache Longbow Helicopter.

He is a Warrant Officer 1 in the Utah National Guard, 1st Attack Helicopter Battalion, 211 Aviation Group, and lives in Salt Lake City.

Estes served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from 1999 to 2001, worked security for the Salt Lake Olympics in 2002 and graduated from the University of Utah in 2006 with degrees in political science and sociology and a criminology certificate.

His education was interrupted in 2003 by a tour of duty with the Utah National Guard and his former unit, 1st Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Estes plans on continuing his military career and hopes to work with heli-tourism in the mountains surrounding the Salt Lake area.

He is the grandson of Ruth Estes of Auburn and Arthur Clark of Sanford.

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