AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2023 - 46

BRIEFING
MUSINGS /
Teaching Julia
My greatest aviation accomplishment
BY MICHAEL G. HOLMBERG
THOUSANDS OF PILOTS accomplish the requirement of a flight review every year.
This one was special to me. I received the flight review from my daughter, Julia.
Julia grew up in an airline family. Her mom and I worked for major airlines, mom
as a customer service representative, me as a pilot. She wanted to be a pilot ever since
she was young. She loved airplanes. She had her first glider ride before she was two.
Growing up she began to show a remarkable talent in art, and her attention turned
in that direction. Somewhere in her senior year Julia and I were talking to her art
teacher who asked her plans for the future. Julia replied that she wanted to be a pilot
or an art teacher. As we walked to the car, I told her she did not have to be a pilot for
me, but at some point I would like her to learn to fly. She graduated from college with
a degree in graphic design followed by a job with a major greeting card company.
Now that she had a " big girl job, " I asked her if she would like to learn to fly. She
jumped at the opportunity and enrolled in a private pilot ground school at Medina
Airport (1G5) in Ohio. I would be her flight instructor.
I have kept my flight instructor certificate current for the past 40 years, but I had
not done any real instructing. I sat in on her ground school to be refreshed on the
world of VFR flying and light aircraft operations. My hands-on light aircraft skills also
needed to be polished after 35 years of transport category airplanes. I have always
said that all airplanes fly the same but handle differently.
As the lessons progressed, I was challenged to stay ahead of the game, reaching
deep into my experience to provide effective instruction as well as hitting the books
and the airmen certification standards. There is a big difference between being a captain
on a Boeing 737 and teaching a primary student. The lessons progressed into the
46
AOPA PILOT / February 2023
landing phase, but were slowed a bit by fickle
spring winds and weather. I eventually had
Julia fly with another instructor to check her
progress. All was going well. Now we got into
what we call " the Dad zone " where an excessive
amount of caution is required; after all, that
was my little girl that I was about to solo. I threw
her every curve I could, and she responded skillfully.
Julia soloed on a beautiful May evening
and did an exceptional job.
By this time Julia had changed directions
and set her sights on a career as a pilot.
The greeting card job ended in a layoff, and
she took a job at Medina Airport doing everything
from cutting grass to plowing snow, fixing
runway lights, and assisting on aircraft maintenance.
As the summer progressed so did
her flight training. She passed the knowledge
test and completed her cross-country requirement,
and I prepared her for her checkride. She
passed her private checkride with flying colors
and moved on to obtaining her instrument rating.
I began to feel more comfortable providing
instrument instruction, but I solicited advice
on teaching instruments in the single-engine,
non-GPS environment. I also hit the books
again, as my last 35 years were spent at the
flight levels with a significant degree of automation
and flight director guidance. Julia also
hit the books and found an instrument ground
school, once again passing the knowledge test
with a handsome score. We progressed in the
training, had another phase check, and headed
to the checkride-once again in the Dad zone.
She completed the certification and started
working toward the commercial. I was becoming
more comfortable with my instructing skills,
but I had not done a chandelle or lazy 8 or any
other commercial maneuver in years. My confidence
was not at a high level with this scenario.
Again, we hit the books and worked toward the
commercial, referencing the ACS, and another
phase check to make sure we were in the ballpark.
The checkride went as planned; now on
to the flight instructor certificate.
From the beginning I was of the mind to
send Julia elsewhere for her CFI. I still recall
the nightmare I experienced obtaining my
CFI, when checkrides were conducted by the
FAA. The checkrides took place at Cleveland
Hopkins International Airport (CLE) requiring
applicants to fly to Cleveland to meet with
ANDY LOVELL
AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2023

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