I wanted to be a pilot since I was a child. I got an introductory ride in a Cessna on my 14th birthday. Started taking flying lessons in earnest around 16, earned a private pilot’s license my freshman year of college. Decided I wanted to go into it as a job, started working on my instrument rating, and for my junior year of college I transferred to ERAU in Daytona Beach. Lasted just over a semester there. Ended up earning a light sport flight instructor certificate and I taught classes at a small school, eventually earning an LSRM certificate and working as the company mechanic as well. I’m a walking flight school, just add airplane.

Wasn’t earning enough money to pay all my own bills, and though I was logging 20-30 hours a week of flight time little of it was applicable to further ratings, and then the owners of the school started doing some sketchy shit and I decided to dip out. In the summer of 2012 I landed after a lesson with a student, and I haven’t flown an airplane since.

I kinda built myself a job as the project manager of a little job shop/prototyping firm, then that business didn’t survive COVID. I’m a woodworker now.