Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

1 Answers

Let me interview you!

Asked by: 7608 views Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, General Aviation, Student Pilot

 

 What got you started in Aviation?     What is your education background?

 What are/were your goals in this industry?

What have been the biggest challenges in your career?

What do you enjoy most about the job? Do you think a bachelors degree is necessary?

What advice would you give to new pilots?

 

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

1 Answers



  1. Richard Hages on May 01, 2011

    I got started in aviation when I was in junior high school. I had a friend that was taking flight lessons and I didn’t even realize that it was an option for someone that age so I was instantly interested.
    I got my private license in high school and went on to the University of North Dakota to earn a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics. (I would highly recommend UND 😉
    I don’t have any specific goals really. I’m currently a full time flight instructor but would like to work for airlines or a corporate department. Really anyone who will pay me to fly.
    There are lots of challenges on the pilot route. Different certificates provide different challenges. If you go the University route you will most likely be challenged by the private pilot course. Also the CFI course at a university is pretty challenging. In general, time building is a challenge mostly to your patience. As long as you really love flying you wont mind the challenges though.
    As a flight instructor I enjoy learning the most. I think every pilot should be a flight instructor at some point. Even after you get through your private, instrument, commercial, multi, etc. you still dont know as much as you would after teaching. Teaching brings every nuance about flying out to be examined and trust me, if you teach long enough you will examine every nuance.
    As far as a degree is concerned, a degree is not necisarrily “required” but if you plan on going anywhere in the industry you’d better get one. It’s a point of pride to be studied in your field. If you really aspire to go any farther than a flight instructing job (and maybe not even that) you should have a degree.
    Finally my piece of advice would be “look out the window”. Every once in a while you will get frustrated with flying. You’ll start to look at it as more work than anything else and it will be challenging. When it starts to get hard and you start to feel this way make sure you look out the window. Remember, you’re flying a plane for a living. You could be stuck in a cubicle somewhere inside but instead you’re in the cockpit of an airplane. Make sure you refuel your love for aviation every once in a while and remind yourself of why you love to fly. I do this by trying to go to Oshkosh every year. I also write a blog to try to spread my knowledge and love for aviation. Check it out at http://www.TheArtofFlying.net . Good luck in your endeavors.

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.