How to get started?

I have always wanted to be a pilot...

My grandmother tells a story of when I was 5 years old and my parents sent me, by myself, to visit. It was my first flight ever, I think it was a DC9 or 727, Fort Wayne to Dulles. As she and my grandfather waited at the gate the entire passenger list deplaned, but I was nowhere to be found. After some confusing and worrisome minutes passed, I came up the jet way with the pilots! I barely remember, but they let me push a button near the back of the center console where I was standing looking at the cockpit instruments in awe and wonder. The button set off a loud klaxon the scared the bejesus out of my 5 year old wits, and they just laughed. Then they gave me my first wings and I wore them for weeks (a lifetime for a 5 year old). From then on I wanted to be a pilot. But it was not to be.

When I was 15 I got a summer job at my local municipal airport mowing, fueling planes, washing planes, painting lines on the runway and bumming rides from local pilots. It was great summer, especially when the airport decided to host their first fly-in/air show. It was a busy day and I didn't get to ride with anybody, but I did fuel a helicopter with Jet A (the first and only time I ever turned on the Jet A pump). The biggest lesson I learned that summer was that the high and prohibitive costs of civil aviation was too much for a 15 year old kid. The following years were occupied by the usual pursuits of a teenager. Aviation was still interesting, but out of reach. Besides, I just didn't have the confidence to really pursue my ambition and chose a different path.

Now, 26 years later I still have the passion, just ask my wife, as I am an avid flight simmer. What's different now is I have the confidence. How's that you ask? Well, I am an accomplished ski instructor, stay at home dad, little league umpire and an Email marketing specialist for the family business. I just don't have the means (read: a fortune in cash), that is why I enjoy my flight simulator.

My son Seth and I on my lunch break

My success as a ski instructor leads me to believe that I would make an excellent CFI. If only I could find the money. That is what has led me to this. Asking complete strangers to help me out. In return I will faithfully document my journey from 0 hours to CFI right here on these pages.

I am asking anyone interested in supporting my aspiration to send me even the smallest amount of US dollars that I will use towards my achievement of a CFI certification and beyond. If you are not interested enough in directly supporting my progress then I urge you to click on the ads you are interested in on this blog, as I get a little money from each click thru.

I hope you are interested,

Matt