We asked our flight instructor Christian Sadler, CFI, CFII, MEI about his experience and why he loves flying. Read more below!
Q: How did you get into flying?
A: I grew up in an aviation family. My father and grandfather both learned to fly and ended up working as an Aircraft Rescue Firefighter (ARFF) and A&P Mechanic respectively.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a pilot?
A: I originally wanted to get involved in aviation as an aerospace engineer but after my freshman year of college, I discovered engineering isn’t what I thought it would be. Flying airplanes instead of designing them seemed to suit me better.
Q: What do you think is important when choosing a flight school?
A: When choosing a flight school, I would look for one with a strong safety record and on-site maintenance to minimize the time aircraft are grounded.
Q: What do you like most about being an instructor?
A: As an instructor, I enjoy getting to know my students and watching them grow as pilots.
Q: What is your most memorable flying experience?
A: My most memorable flight experience is my long cross country for my commercial rating where I flew from Fort Myers to St Simons Island and ate BBQ from Southern Soul.
Q: What advice would you give students?
A: Some advice I would give to students is to not get too discouraged early in your training. Learning the basics can be a little frustrating sometimes but rewarding in the long run.
Q: What advice would you give individuals interested in instructing?
A: For people interested in instructing, I would recommend going back to when they first started flying and reflect on what you liked and didn’t like from your instructors. Be the instructor you wish you had when you first started flying.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: After I build my hours, I plan on going to the regionals before finally moving on to a legacy carrier like Delta , American, or United.
Q: If you could fly anywhere, where would it be?
A: One flight I would be interested in doing is to the Bahamas. A short flight from Florida to the Caribbean would make for a nice vacation.
