Inspiring Young Readers with Adventure: The Journey of Darcy Guyant

From Coast Guard to Children's Author

Darcy Guyant is a retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander, veteran helicopter pilot, longtime elementary school volunteer, and award-winning children’s book author. His stories blend real-world aviation, STEM discovery, and character-building lessons for young readers.

With 25 years of combined U.S. Army and U.S. Coast Guard service, Guyant accumulated more than 6,200 hours of rotary-wing flight time flying military helicopters in demanding operational environments. He began his aviation career in 1980, enlisting in the U.S. Army under the “High School to Flight School” program. After graduating from Army flight training in 1981, he served as a Warrant Officer in South Korea, flying the UH-1H “Huey.” This was just the beginning of an incredible journey.

In 1987, Guyant received a Direct Commission into the U.S. Coast Guard. He flew search-and-rescue helicopters along the rugged Pacific Northwest coastline, the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and the Gulf of Mexico. Guyant completed his military career as the Director of the world-renowned National Rescue School in Yorktown, VA. Throughout his career, he saved many lives and trained others to carry on the U.S. Coast Guard’s lifesaving mission.

A Passion for Education

Beginning in 2013, Guyant started volunteering in public elementary schools, assisting teachers and tutoring students with reading and math. What began as an occasional service grew into nearly full-time involvement. Over the past decade, “Mr. Darcy,” as students know him, has logged close to 10,000 volunteer hours. He has assisted teachers, read to classrooms, and mentored young students—most of them first graders—during the most critical years of their reading development.

It was inside those classrooms that Guyant discovered a new mission.

Encouraged by teachers who read his memoir and recognized his ability to connect with children, Guyant began writing children’s books based on real events from his aviation career. In 2022, he published his memoir, To Seek and To Save, which reflects on his military service, family legacy, faith, and life lessons learned through decades of service. That same year, he released his first children’s picture book, Into The Storm, launching The Coast Guard Adventures of Dolph and Gwen series.

The series transforms actual Coast Guard search-and-rescue missions into age-appropriate adventure stories told through the characters of Dolph, a Coast Guard helicopter, and Gwen, a young pilot. Drawing directly from Guyant’s own experiences flying the HH-65 Dolphin, the books emphasize courage in the face of adversity, trust, teamwork, and the quiet heroism of serving others. Several titles in the series have earned recognition from the Military Writers Society of America and the Mom’s Choice Awards.

The Joy of Volunteering

Your love for children and learning led you to volunteer in elementary schools. What have you enjoyed the most?

I often describe myself as a “force multiplier” for teachers. As much as they would like to, there simply aren’t enough minutes in a school day for them to give every child the individual attention they deserve. Over the past decade, I’ve averaged roughly 700 hours a year volunteering in elementary schools, working alongside teachers to help enhance their outreach to students.

There are moments when I’ve questioned whether I’m truly making a difference, or whether my time could be better spent elsewhere. But I’ve come to understand that my time at school isn’t wasted; it’s invested. That investment shows up in one-on-one moments with students who are struggling with reading or math. Sometimes the payoff is immediate, and I see the lightbulb in their head flick on.

Other times, progress comes slowly and quietly, one word, one problem, one small step at a time.

There are times when the most important thing I offer isn’t academic help at all. It’s simply being present and listening as a child talks about losing their first tooth, getting a shot, celebrating a birthday, welcoming a new sibling to their family, or grieving the loss of a beloved pet. To a child, those moments are significant, and having a trusted adult listen matters.

Serving in classrooms has become an extension of my faith in action. It influences how I write, using stories as another way to serve, encourage, and quietly remind children that their lives have meaning and purpose.

Teachers are incredibly gracious and often ask how they can “pay me back” or show their appreciation. My answer is always the same: a smile and a sincere thank-you are more than enough. Knowing I’ve lightened their load, even a little, and helped a child feel seen, supported, or more confident is the greatest reward I could ever receive.

The Coast Guard Adventures of Dolph and Gwen

Tell us about your first children’s picture book, “The Coast Guard Adventures of Dolph and Gwen series.” What did the Coast Guard teach you about life?

The idea for my first children’s picture book, The Coast Guard Adventures of Dolph and Gwen, grew directly out of my time volunteering with first-grade students. I wanted children to experience a real-life adventure, one rooted not in fantasy, but in the kind of life-saving missions the Coast Guard carries out every single day. Stories have power, and I wanted young readers to see what courage and service look like in the real world.

I chose one of the most challenging and memorable rescue missions I ever flew as a Coast Guard helicopter pilot as the foundation for my first children’s book, Into the Storm. The story is based on an actual mission in which my crew and I flew into severe weather to rescue three men from a sinking boat. To help children connect emotionally, I brought the helicopter to life as a character named Dolph, short for “Dolphin,” the Coast Guard’s nickname for the MH-65 rescue helicopter. Dolph can see, speak, and think, and he flies with his pilot, Gwen.

I’m often asked why the pilot in the story is a woman if it’s based on a mission I flew as the pilot. The answer is simple. When I wrote the book, I had my granddaughter in mind. I wanted her, and every child reading the story, to know that courage, piloting skills, and service aren’t limited by gender. I named the pilot Gwen after my granddaughter so she could see herself in that cockpit.

At the heart of the series are the lessons the Coast Guard taught me about life: courage, teamwork, and trust. Those values apply far beyond aviation or rescue work. I was nervous about that mission; anyone would be. But courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s the decision to move forward despite it. I often talk to children about courage: where it comes from, how it grows, and how we summon it when doing something hard or scary.

The Coast Guard also taught me the power of trust: trust in your team, your training, your equipment, and ultimately, in the abilities God has given you. Teamwork means doing your part well, showing up for others, and encouraging those around you to take brave steps too.

Ginny: The Martian Helicopter

You just released an exciting new adventure book, “Ginny: The Martian Helicopter,” the first aircraft to fly to another planet. What was your inspiration for the book?

The inspiration for Ginny: The Martian Helicopter came from a moment of genuine astonishment.

NASA’s helicopter, Ingenuity, made its first flight on Mars on April 19, 2021. Yet I didn’t learn about that historic achievement until December 2024, when I happened to see a short video on social media celebrating its success. I was stunned, not only by the magnitude of what I was watching, but by the fact that I had somehow missed it altogether.

I’m a helicopter guy through and through. I spent 25 years flying helicopters, logged over 6,250 flight hours, taught hundreds of students to fly, wrote six children’s books about helicopters, and considered myself an aviation history enthusiast. And yet, more than three years after what many viewed as a Wright Brothers-level milestone—the first powered flight on another planet—I was just discovering it. My immediate reaction was simple: How did I miss this?

After watching that tribute to Ingenuity, I knew instantly that this was a story children needed to hear. This wasn’t just a technological success; it was a triumph of imagination, persistence, and human ingenuity—qualities I’ve seen shape lives in both the cockpit and the classroom. I felt a strong calling to bring this extraordinary achievement to life in a story that kids, parents, and teachers could connect with emotionally.

That calling became Ginny: The Martian Helicopter. I wanted young readers to understand that exploration is still happening, that history is still being made, and that engineers, scientists, and dreamers are pushing boundaries right now. If a small helicopter could rise in the thin air of Mars, I hoped the story might also lift a child’s curiosity and maybe help them imagine where their own courage and creativity could take them.

Themes of Courage and Teamwork

Share the themes woven through the book.

At its heart, Ginny, The Martian Helicopter is about courage—the kind of courage it takes to try something that has never been done before, knowing it might not work. Ginny’s first flight on Mars reflects what the engineers at NASA/JPL faced: thin air, multiple risks of mechanical failure, and no guarantees. I wanted children to see how making extraordinary achievements requires taking calculated risks and courage.

Another powerful theme in the book is teamwork. Ginny and Percy succeeded because they depended on a vast team of scientists, engineers, and others on Earth. Every outstanding achievement nearly always happens because a team of dedicated individuals is working toward a shared goal.

When Ginny can no longer fly, her story doesn’t end; it changes. There’s a Latin phrase, Per Aspera Ad Astra, which means ‘through hardship to the stars,’ and that idea is at the very heart of Ginny’s journey. Even when things don’t turn out the way we hope, our value as a person doesn’t disappear. Ginny still matters. She still contributes. Her most outstanding achievement comes not just from flying, but from enduring, adapting, and continuing to serve.

Finally, the book is about hope and inspiration. Ginny’s journey is meant to spark curiosity and imagination, helping children see themselves as future scientists, engineers, explorers, or problem-solvers. If a small helicopter can make history on another planet, then maybe a child reading this book can imagine doing something extraordinary, too.

Educational Adventures

Not only is “Ginny: The Martian Helicopter” a fun adventure, it is also educational. What can we find?

While Ginny: The Martian Helicopter is written as an adventure story, there’s a lot of real science woven into it. Children are learning how Mars is different from Earth, especially how its thin atmosphere makes flying incredibly difficult. Ginny’s fast-spinning rotors, limited battery life, and careful flight planning are all based on the real engineering challenges faced by NASA/JPL.

Readers also learn how space exploration works. Ginny doesn’t explore Mars alone; she works side by side with Percy, the rover, just like the real partnership between the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and the Perseverance Rover. Through their teamwork, kids see how scientists gather data, study rocks, scout terrain, and make careful decisions millions of miles from Earth.

The book also introduces aviation and engineering concepts in a kid-friendly way, such as lift, rotor speed, solar power, and why weight matters differently on Mars than on Earth. Then, at the back of the book, those ideas are reinforced with real facts, comparisons to the Wright Brothers, hands-on activities like building a paper helicopter, and links to videos with additional information.

Most importantly, the educational message isn’t just about science facts; it’s about how science is done. It shows curiosity, problem-solving, patience, and the ability to learn from setbacks. My goal is for children to finish the book, not just knowing more about Mars, but feeling excited and confident about exploring how our marvelous world and the universe work.

A Mission to Inspire

Tell us about your other children’s books and your mission.

My previous six children’s books are all rooted in one central idea: making a difference by helping someone in need. They’re inspired by real search-and-rescue missions and focus on the U.S. Coast Guard’s men and women. But the lessons apply to all first responders, such as firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and others who quietly put themselves in harm’s way so others can live and go home to their families. I wanted children to grow up with an appreciation for that kind of service and sacrifice, and to understand that real heroes don’t wear capes. Some wear a flight suit, swim fins, firefighter’s turnout gear, a badge, or a stethoscope.

One of the most powerful ideas I try to share is that when a single life is saved, it creates ripples that extend far beyond that moment. A life saved doesn’t just affect one person; it affects families, friendships, and future generations the rescuer may never meet. Saving or assisting one person changes the future in ways we can’t fully see, but that matters deeply nonetheless. My book Some Angels Have Rotor Blades was explicitly written to show those ripples, to help kids understand how one rescue can ripple and echo through time.

When I talk to children, I often use the idea of a ‘superpower.’ We can’t change the past; what’s done is done. But every one of us has the power to change what happens next. That’s something I want kids to really hold onto. Their choices matter. Their words matter. An act of kindness, an encouraging word, helping someone who’s struggling, or simply giving their time and attention—those small, everyday decisions shape the future in real and lasting ways.

So, while my books tell exciting, true-to-life rescue stories, my deeper mission is to help children see their own potential. I want them to understand that courage, service, and compassion aren’t reserved for adults or first responders. They’re available to all of us, every single day. If a story can help a child believe they can make the world a little better, then I’ve been successful as an author.

Looking Ahead

What’s next?

What’s next for me really comes down to two things, and they’re both about reaching kids where they are. First, I’m focused on getting these books into as many hands as possible: children, parents, teachers, and librarians. I see my stories as tools, not just entertainment. Whether it’s a Coast Guard rescue or a helicopter flying on Mars, my goal is for books to spark curiosity, courage, and meaningful conversations at home and in the classroom.

The second part is just as vital to me: sharing these stories in person. It’s gratifying to read my stories to kids in person, answer their questions, and watch their eyes light up as they realize they’re based on real events. School visits, library readings, STEM presentations, and community events allow me to connect directly with students and show them that exploration, service, and problem-solving are very real, exciting, and fun.

The bottom line: my goals are to get these stories into the hands of kids and share them wherever children learn and gather. Whether it’s in the comfort of their home, or in a classroom, a library, or at a community event, I want my stories to spark curiosity, inspire a desire to help others, and instill courageous confidence.