South Carolina’s Caden McLain started his flight lessons at just 13, providing a challenge for his CFI. When he made his first solo, he had already logged 120 hours. With his sights set on flying big iron for UPS or FedEx, Caden says he got lucky having supportive parents. “And I have learned that no pilot is born with the skills you need. You have to work at it.”
Flight Training
Operations up at Twin Cities GA airports
The six general aviation airports operated by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) in Minneapolis-St. Paul grew their operations by 8%, with 352,195, takeoffs and landings in 2021, 26,151 more than in 2020.
Hire a CFI who works for you
The responsibility of picking a good CFI lies squarely on the shoulders of the customer, so pick your CFI wisely. They work for you, after all. Hire well.
Best in flight training revealed
The 2021-2022 survey garnered nearly 8,000 submissions, including 1,740 recommendations for top CFIs and 949 for best flight school. Taking top honors for flight schools is In the Pattern in Denton, Texas, while Ambyr Peterson of Minneapolis took top honors for CFI.
Alaska vacation leads to internship for Florida twins
When Sean and Wells Muraskin vacationed in Alaska in the summer of 2021, the highlight of the trip was flying floatplanes with Terry Cartee of Acme Cub Training. But that’s nothing compared to the summer of 2022, when the twins will work as interns at the Alaska seaplane base, flying with Cartee and learning maintenance skills from Steve Williams after working during the day.
Deadline for Flight Instructor Hall of Fame nominations extended
The deadline was pushed from April 1 to April 30 for nominations to the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame.
New financing program for pilot training launches
“Our products are aimed at helping students attend programs that are likely to pay them back in the form of a strong and stable salary and career,” said Angela Prince, CEO of Climb Credit. “With the huge need for pilots in the coming years, and the strong salary potential that this career offers, we were excited to build a financial product to specifically meet the needs of future pilots and the schools that train them.”
Never too early to live the dream
From mopping floors to instructing in the T-6 Texan at just 21 years old, Wes Atteberry proves that not only are there still motivated young people entering the field of aviation, but also that with enough perseverance, you can obtain the loftiest of dreams even from the most modest of beginnings.
New pilot training opportunities available from Garmin
Garmin has expanded pilot training opportunities for 2022, including webinars, eLearning courses, instructor-led classes and a variety of self-study guides and trainers offered for the GTN series, G500/600, G500/G600/G700 TXi, G3X, and Garmin integrated flight decks.