Professional Pilot, September 2016
Family members who were veterans got me interested in military aviation at a young age I became fascinated with aircraft of all kinds Visiting the local Air Guard base I watched F86 and F104 flights At other times wed park the car at the airport perimeter and watch departing airline DC3s and Convairs I pedaled my bike to the local GA field and would walk around the tied down Cubs Luscombes Aeroncas Stinsons Navions and Cessnas what memories First 32 PROFESSIONAL PILOT September 2016 with the Army then with the Coast Guard and then with civil aviation I soaked up schooling from many fine instructors who passed along to me their acquired knowledge It paid off as I have had many years and now have logged over 12000 hrs of safe flying James Holbert ATP Helo CFII Airbus H135 Pilot PHI Air Medical London KY I had a teacher in high school for 4 out of my 7 classes each day I got to know him pretty well and would occasionally have conversations during breaks One time he told me about his brother in law who worked for an airline and made pretty good money as a pilot It was a light bulb moment for me I said to myself I like airplanes and wouldnt mind having money Although I do not work for an airline I have always loved what I do as a pilot and rarely consider it to be actual work Ryan Johnson ATP Challenger 601 King Air 350 Captain DC Air Denair CA I wanted to be a pilot from the time I could walk My mentor was Armando Sanchez Ferrer He was a Cubana Airlines pilot who flew his Vickers Viscount to Key West in the early 60s instead of going as flightplanned to Cancun He requested political asylum and was allowed to stay in the US He did basic airport work and obtained his FAA licenses Then he flew corporate charter and finally was hired as an FAA inspector As my flight instructor in 1965 he worked me up to commercial multi instrument by 1968 I joined the US Army became a helicopter pilot and served in Vietnam We exchanged letters and in his correspondence he continued to give me safe flying practices instruction He never retired but in 1979 while still working for the FAA he passed away A great mentor may he continue flying in peace Raul Dominguez ATP CFII Hawker 900XP 800A Captain Catalina Aerospace Corp Coconut Creek FL Evidently flying was born with me Only if you are another totally sold pilot do you truly understand how and why flying is one of the most beautiful ways in life that you can serve the world It is my passion and if I were born again I would be a pilot again I am a most fortunate human being who is paid to do what I love to do And yes what I was born to do Gonzalo Sanchez ATP CFII Piper Cheyenne IIXL Ops Mgr Flight Instructor CBP Ltd Santiago Chile
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