HIRED: My First Airline Job!

Recap of Past Few Months

It's been a while since I've shared about my flight hour progress toward becoming eligible to work for an airline... but I'm happy to say that over the past couple months it's happened:

• Reached the minimum hour requirement to be an airline pilot
• Interviewed with SkyWest
• Accepted an offer to become a First Officer
• Completed an official Airline Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP CTP)
• Passed the written ATP knowledge exam
• Leave tomorrow for 6-8 weeks of ground school in Salt Lake City. Whew!

Reflections on Flight Instructing

There's so much to be grateful for as I reflect on my experience as a flight instructor at Westwind School of Aeronautics.  It's been a wonderful way for me to transition into aviation, as a former school teacher.  The relationships I've built with my co-workers and students have been so rewarding and fun.  Here is a short video about two of my students from South Korea, Seoung Hee and Donghyeok.  They are married and it was a blast to train them both.  Watch this 60 second video about them becoming Private Pilots, from first solo to check ride:

First Full Motion Simulator Experience

I currently have just under 1300 flight hours logged (needed 1250 for the airlines).  The past month has been full of travel to and from Salt Lake City for CTP training in which I was able to log 10 hours in a full motion E175 simulator.  My brother in law Dave (who reviews videogames and technology for Forbes), referred to it as "the most expensive video game ever." Ha! You could even feel bumps on the taxiway. 

Me in the E175 Full Motion Sim

Me and my Sim Partner

What's Next?

So the next phase is ground school.  I just completed my last day of work at Westwind and tomorrow I depart for SLC for training with SkyWest.  SkyWest is a regional airline contracted by major airlines such as Delta, United, American and Alaska.  Here's what's next:

• Complete ground school & sim training over the next 6-8 weeks
• Pass a check ride in the aircraft I was hired to fly (CRJ)
• Complete my Initial Operating Experience (IOE)
• Be placed on reserve: filling in for First Officers who can't make their scheduled flight
• Fly the Line...aka be a real pilot!

So when I do begin to fly, my aircraft could look something like this:

Type of Aircraft I will fly: CRJ 200

I am looking forward to being a student again and in a time and place to focus my energies on learning.  In all of my initial flight training, I was always multi-tasking... working as a Phy Ed teacher and Residence Life Coordinator at a University.  So I'm looking forward to being able to focus solely on jet training.

One of the hardest parts about this all will be saying goodbye to my family for 6-8 weeks.  Sara and Isaac will be staying in Phoenix while I complete the ground school.  We are hopeful to see each other on Christmas weekend, but it will depend on whether or not I can fly standby and make it back to training on Monday.  Please pray it works out! Our 6th wedding anniversary also falls in that time frame--so it will be our first one a part.  We are grateful for the local friends who are reaching out to Sara during my time away, and friends and family from Minnesota who plan to visit.

We snuck in one last date this week and enjoyed some ice cream together.  So grateful for my family.

Thanks for following, and I hope to update more as I process what I learn in training over the next 6-8 weeks.  For now I must say goodbye as I need to re-learn how to dress and pack for winter weather in Salt Lake. 

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How I Became a Pilot: Video

I put together a 60 second video about how I became a pilot.  From starting off as a teacher and coach, to now working as a full-time flight instructor.  Check it out and be sure to subscribe to my blog for more updates!

First 100 Degree Day in Phoenix

We just hit triple digits for the first time this year.  Usually they don't dispatch any planes if it's above 105, so guys start to work early at like 0500.  Time to change my sleep patterns I guess!  I usually start at 0700.

Student's First Solo

One of my student's had his first solo flight today. Pushed another one out the nest as they say.  Fun to give him his "wings"!

Snow in Arizona!

Flew to Payson today on a cross country flight with one of my private pilot students.  Saw snow... which would have made me think I was back in the Twin Cities if it weren't for the mountains!

Life as a CFI

I've really enjoyed working as a CFI in Phoenix.  I work out of Deer Valley airport, one of the busiest airports in the nation.  We have a fleet of 35 aircraft and counting.  It is not uncommon to be the fifth airplane waiting for takeoff or number five in the pattern on one of the parallel runways.  Due to the density of traffic our practice areas have been divided into sectors based on prominent landmarks.  Heading west from KDVT you can contact Luke Approach and receive traffic alerts within a Special Air Traffic Rule area while you practice maneuvers...something I had never heard of back in the midwest.

We are moving across the country!

I just passed my CFII check ride Wednesday!! It's amazing how much one event can completely change your anxiety levels.  So much was banking on this timeline.  I accepted a job with Westwind School of Aeronautics in Phoenix, AZ with a start date of September 21st (10 days away), with an apartment lease start date of September 13 (2 days from now) and with my family joining by plane on the 15th (4 days from now).  A fail could have really messed everything up... but God's got it.


My buddy Chris is making the trip with me and Sara and Isaac will follow by plane next week. Time for an adventure! It was nice to see our stuff again too, it's been in storage for a while.

80/20: The CFI Checkride

Study, study, study

It's common knowledge within flight training that the fail to pass ratio for the CFI check ride is 80:20.  That is, 80% fail the first attempt.  Up until this point, I've passed each check ride. Unfortunately, I have joined the 80%.

In all honesty, I was underprepared and unable to correlate multiple subject areas into one cohesive lesson, as expected by the examiner.

Over the next week I was able to really focus on the areas in which I needed to improve, and was able to come back to attempt #2 and pass. Although I felt stressed about it, it was actually a neat check ride.  I created a plan of action with the examiner in which you decide a sequence of maneuvers and who is to fly the airplane during each maneuver. I was expected to instruct through every maneuver.  Much like my private pilot check ride, everything fell into place.

Practicing with my Flight Sim

Now that I'm onto my CFI training, I have to switch seats!  Up until this point, I have been flying from the left seat (PIC...Pilot in Command).  Now as I learn to be an instructor I have to fly from the right seat, which is where I will be now for probably a long time.  I set up my Saitek flight simulator to do some practice and get used to the controls being on my left.