Flight Training - March/April 2022 - 40

Northwest Mountain Region
Best Flight Instructor
Jess Padden, Bozeman, Montana
CONFIDENCE
BUILDER
Jess Padden of Summit Aviation
invests in student success
BY LILLIAN GEIL
Aviation instruction demands a thorough
commitment, but you don't need to tell
that to Jess Padden, who goes above and
beyond to make sure his students feel confident,
both in the air and on the ground.
Padden earned all his certificates at
Summit Aviation in Bozeman, Montana.
He started instructing at Summit Aviation
in 2018, worked his way up to chief
instructor, and is now a charter pilot for
the company-flying as second in command
in an Embraer Phenom 300.
In the cockpit, Padden balances each
lesson with challenging but attainable
goals. He mentions how important it is to
read the physical and emotional cues of
the student and adjust accordingly, making
the lesson individual to each student.
On the ground, Padden provides
sweeping support to the organization,
taking initiative to ensure the available
training is comprehensive and accessible.
" The training materials were basic
and there were gaps, " he said. Padden
rewrote the training supplements,
compiling information from a few
sources to make it easier for students
to find answers to their questions. After
implementation he saw measurable
differences. For example, his multiengine
private add-on students went from an
average of certification in 20 flight hours
to certification in 10 to 15 flight hours.
Padden fosters confidence among his
students with an emphasis on acknowledging
milestones-big and small. " I think
that instructors truly need to understand
that you are creating the foundation of
knowledge and skill for new aviators. "
Padden said. " Set short-term goals with
them so that each 'little' achievement
keeps the student engaged. "
lillian.geil@aopa.org
40 FLIGHT TRAINING MARCH/APRIL 2022
Southern Region Best Flight
Instructor Matt Eichel
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Western Pacific Region
Best Flight Instructor
Sergio Ramirez, Temecula, California
MISSION
FOCUSED
Matt Eichel prepares military pilots
for airline careers
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
Matt Eichel knows how to get through
to pilots.
As a U.S. Air Force weapons system
officer flying in the back seat of McDonnell-Douglas
F-15E Strike Eagles, he
closely coordinated his actions with the
pilot and other team members-often in
strenuous, stressful situations.
Now, after 13 years in the military,
Eichel is helping fellow veterans prepare
for airline flying careers at MIL2ATP, a
flight school in Goldsboro, North Carolina.
" We know how to help military pilots
make the transition to civilian airline
flying, " said Eichel, 39, a certificated flight
instructor who has earned instrument
instructor and multiengine instructor
ratings. " We concentrate on the new
material they need to learn, and we don't
rehash the things they already know so
they can meet their professional goals as
quickly and efficiently as possible. "
In addition to the academic, simulator,
and flight training required for civilian airline
transport pilot certificates, MIL2ATP
provides airline networking, résumé writing,
and interview preparation courses.
MIL2ATP's structured training allows
students to meet their goals while also
having fun.
" Flight training should never be a
laborious chore, " Eichel said. " You've got
to teach the book knowledge, but you
should do it in a way that makes it fun
and enjoyable. If that means flying to
the beach or stopping somewhere for a
burger, that's OK. I do my best to lighten
up and have some fun whenever the
situation allows. "
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
DISCOVERING
A TALENT FOR
TEACHING
Sergio Ramirez puts students first
BY DAVE HIRSCHMAN
Flight instructing was a steppingstone for
Sergio Ramirez on the way to becoming
an airline pilot. But he discovered along
the way that he has a talent for teaching
and enjoys seeing his students accomplish
their own flying goals.
" Flight instructing was something I
believe came very natural to me, " said
Ramirez, who obtained his CFI certificate
at AeroGuard Flight Training Center in
Temecula, California, and then taught
there before landing a job as a pilot for
a regional airline. " As a flight instructor,
I simply translated to my students what
techniques and ideas worked best for me. "
Ramirez said he was always interested
in aviation but thought airline
pilot careers were reserved for former
military pilots. He looked into becoming
a flight attendant, and it was only then
that he realized a career as a pilot was
a possibility. Ramirez intends to return
to flight instructing at his airline as an
evaluator of fellow professional pilots, or
as a sideline to his airline career.
One of his former students praised
Ramirez for instilling pride, helping the
student look beyond the next test and
the next checkride, and making the process
enjoyable.
" He gave me confidence that I was
being trained first and foremost to be a
good pilot, not just a good test-taker, "
the student wrote in recommending
Ramirez for a Flight Training Experience
Award. " Sergio knows a healthy balance
between emphasizing how serious one
should take their piloting skills, but
never lost the ability to impress upon us
how wondrous and special what we get
to do is. He kept it fun. "
dave.hirschman@aopa.org
Flight Training - March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - March/April 2022
