About
Hi there. Welcome to my blog. Let me tell you a little of my background with aviation and why I’m writing this blog.
I grew up in Iowa and Minnesota and started flying during the summer of 2003, right after I graduated from high school. I trained for my private license through the FBO in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (KCID). Then I went away to college at Walla Walla College, in, obviously enough, Walla Walla, Washington. At WWC I worked towards a B.S. in aviation technology. WWC has a small, Part 61, collegiate aviation program, featuring eight aircraft with about the same number of instructors.
I lived, ate, and breathed aviation for my first couple years as a pilot. By the middle of my sophomore year (December, 2004), after training through both my college and some other airports around Iowa, I had become a certified flight instructor and started working as a CFI for WWC.
Also around this time I realized I didn’t need an aviation degree to work as a pilot, but I was so far along in the program that I ought just finish it off. At the same time, I wanted to explore other areas, so I decided to start a double major in communication.
By the middle of my junior year (January, 2006) I wouldn’t say I was burned out, but I’d say my priorities in life had shifted. I saw myself on the fast track of getting done with school, going to work as a pilot somewhere, working my butt off for ten years, then looking back at my life and thinking, “Why was I in such a rush?”
I wanted to become a more well-rounded person, “stop and smell the roses,” have some non-aviation stories to tell, and all that.
So I entered an “experiential program” through WWC that allowed me to keep my status as a current student (very nice for still being considered a “dependent” under my parents), yet it essentially let me take the ‘06-’07 year off of school in order to go work at a location of my choosing, doing work to benefit a needy organization.
I chose to work at a private boarding high school in eastern Pennsylvania. I was an assistant dean in their dorm, which was my full time “day” job that included working days, nights, and weekends, on a fairly random schedule. My “other” job was as a CFI for a small flying club based at a private grass strip within walking distance of the high school. I flew a beat-to-heck Cessna 150 for them.
Over the winter, when things slowed down in my own work as an instructor, I thought it would be fun to take a few hours of aerobatic training. That lead to a tailwheel endorsement, then before I knew it, one thing lead to another (long story) and I became the proud owner of a 1946 Cessna 140.
Now I’m 23 years old, done working in Pennsylvania, and done with my aviation technology degree at WWC.
I moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in August in order to go to Union College and finish my communication degree closer to home. I had a good time while living in Washington and Pennsylvania, but I missed the Midwest. What can I say? It’s home.
After moving to Lincoln, I worked as a freelance flight instructor for a few months, then started working for a local flight school, which is where I’m currently at. We’re a small operation with two aircraft, two instructors, and a ton of flexibility. Most of our flying revolves around private pilot training, although we do a bit of instrument training as well. I use this as the sole means of paying my bills, but I also have a heck of a lot of fun working here.
So that’s what this blog is all about…flying for fun and for money. Enjoy!