AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2019 - 97

Learn, fly, and
live aviation
If you instructed
before flying for the
airlines and have let
your instructor
certificates expire,
the FAA requires that
you take a checkride
to reinstate the
privileges. There's
no need to take a
knowledge test, and
no minimum training
time is required.
GA pilots are more willing to accept-or
maybe they don't recognize-risk." He
mentioned the difference in response to
something simple such as a cockpit light.
At the airlines he would write up the
squawk, call maintenance, and it would
be fixed. In GA he said the first question
in that case is always, "Can we fly without it?"
Flight school owner and retired FedEx
pilot Ken Hammerton welcomes retired
pilots into his instructor ranks, although
he cautions that it sometimes isn't what
they expect. Hammerton explained that at
the airlines, everything is made to ensure
the flight crews are taken care of, so the
flights run as scheduled. The hotels are
nice, the shuttles are prearranged, there
are wake-up calls, and the maintenance
and dispatch are done in advance. "The
airline pilot is spoiled," he said. At the
school, "We have to work!"
The rewards can make the work worthwhile. Hammerton spends most of his time
running the school and doing stage checks,
but he enjoys watching students develop
over time. The school took on international
students during the recent downturn, and
today it still has students from Asia, Africa,
and a few from Europe. "When you think
of a kid coming from another country and
English isn't their primary language, they
come here inexperienced and leave multiengine instructors. To see them evolve is
really gratifying for us."

WHY WAIT?
Active airline pilots can
instruct, too
Many airline pilots don't wait
until retirement to instruct.
Mentoring can bring an even
bigger impact, especially with
the current hiring and operational knowledge a pilot brings.
Todd Bender is a line check
airman for a major airline who
came from the general aviation world. He spends his days
off mentoring, coaching, and
encouraging others. It might be
a phone call to see how someone is progressing in training,
or meeting a flight attendant
at the airport who has shown
interest in changing roles and
wants to learn what flying is like.
"You gotta give back," he said.
"I enjoy giving back to enthusiastic young people."
He also instructs on the side,
and especially likes students
who are just starting out. "I
enjoy giving them different
techniques and ways of doing
things." For Bender it's a way to
share his passion for flying and
ensure the next generation of
pilots is ready to step in to the
cockpit. "I'm done in nine and
a half years. Someone's gotta
take my place."
-IJT

Johnson instructed prior to flying
professionally, and he said even then he
enjoyed it. He loves being around aviation
again. And now he gets to set his schedule and do the type of instruction he finds
most rewarding. Most important, he feels
like he is giving back. "It's good to know
that the knowledge I gathered isn't just
flushed because I retired. It's still useful.
"Plus," he said, "It beats sitting on
the couch watching CNN or Fox News
all day."
AOPA

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - September 2019

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