Introduction

I first started getting into aviation about mid-Freshman year in high school (2001-2002). In fact, the way I came into aviation is kind of odd, it's something I never thought I’d be interested in. Back in 1999, I recall that my family and I were shopping at Wal-Mart. I was browsing amidst the electronics department and, being a video game enthusiast as most young kids are, came across a copy of Flight Simulator 98. Normally this game would never catch my eye, or interest -- but this did, purely because it was mispriced. Normally, the game was $59.99, and as far as I can recall it was mispriced at $29.99. I ended up buying it -- took it home, but never played it.

A couple years pass. Come 2001-2002, freshman year of high school, my interest in the games I was playing at the time was lacking. Digging through all the games I had, that being a pile of computer games and Nintendo 64 games, I came across the copy of Flight Simulator 98 I bought a couple years back, still in the box -- never opened. Out of curiosity, I figured I’d give it a shot. I remember the first time I played the game; it initially started you out at San Francisco Intl. Airport in a 737-400, in the cockpit of course. I was completely baffled by all the controls, dials, gauges, settings, etc. and thought to myself, good grief, this must be the hardest game I’ve ever seen, yet alone played. Nonetheless, over the course of a few months I messed around with the game, slowly developing an interest in it. It wasn't until about February 2002 that I came across an entire flight simulator community on the internet, composed of virtual airlines, simulation networks (multiplayer flying on the computer), and more. I came across a virtual airline that interested me, UPS Virtual Air Cargo to be exact, a virtual airline (with real flight simulator/aviation enthusiasts), and was "hired" into the airline as a 757 First Officer based out of the Dallas Ft. Worth hub. Kind of funny, I know, but to a 16 year old kid this was pretty cool stuff!

Nonetheless, that's really where it all began. After a few years pass and hundreds of 'virtual' flight hours later, gaining bits of experience and knowledge along the way, I knew what I wanted to do after graduating high school. I also did a bit of simulated air traffic control, too, which you can do online through flight simulator and a network called VATSIM (Virtual Air Traffic Simulation). I was based out of VZAU (Chicago ARTCC) and almost always controlled out of O’Hare (ORD). Most find that pretty laughable, sure, and it is simulated, but -- it was fairly realistic. There were times where I was so busy with air traffic control instructions that I couldn't leave my seat for over 2 hours, loaded with nonstop talking, typing, and issuing instructions. This experience and my experience as a 'virtual pilot' for a few years helped when I began my freshman year in college at Eastern Michigan University in 2005. Coming in pursuing an Aviation Flight major, I already had extensive knowledge on radio communications, which helped when I started flight training (for real) in 2005. After finishing my freshman year of college in 2006, I took a few years off from school -- not sure if pursuing the pilot route was a good idea, or not. My only concern was money, and at the time (2006-2009) pilot furloughs seemed endless, the pay was pretty poor, and the turnover rates at most regional’s was very high. I came back to Eastern in 2009, switched my major to Aviation Management, and figured that if I still wanted to become a pilot, I could decide when I graduate in 2012. After all, the management degree is a great backup anyways.

As to where I’d like to go in aviation, it seems like every sector of an aviation career has its pros and cons. Part of me would love to be an airline pilot, yet I’m also the kind of person that likes to come home every night (not constantly travelling). Though, I also don't care for an 8-5 office job, I’d rather be out and about when I’m working, not stuck in a building (or office) for 8 hours. I've considered air traffic control, but have little knowledge how the ATC lifestyle really is, or whether I’d fully enjoy that. I wouldn't mind to be the director of operations for a particular airport, an interest that I picked up after taking the Aviation Management course here at Eastern, taught by Kenneth Szymanski, whom is the director of operations at Detroit-Metro airport. I also have an interest in dispatching. Nonetheless, as to a specific direction -- each seems to have its pros and cons, I’m not sure where I’ll go, really, and as of now it's really just where the jobs are.

There are a broad range of topics that interest me in aviation. I'm interested in airport/airfield operations, air traffic control, flying (pilot aspect), and dispatch. I've never found an interest in maintenance (A&P Mechanic) or anything that deals directly with the public (customer service, manager-level position, etc.). Air disasters and NTSB-related topics are somewhat interesting to me also, but not so much because it’s kind of the 'doom and gloom' side of aviation, in my opinion. Airline related news, mergers, acquisitions, bankruptcies, fleet adjustments, new aircraft, retiring aircraft, etc. I’ve always had a lot of interest in. I like seeing the changes in the industry and keeping up to date with those changes. Air traffic control is intriguing, having done it simulated it's still an interest of mine, but also one of those topics that you really don't hear about too often compared to everything else. Dispatching, of course, is also a small but neat sector in the aviation community that I also find pretty interesting.