Checking In Ground Level!

[Brady]

Short Turnover, but Huge Update! – 02/03/2021

Yesterday I received a phone call from ATP’s Instructor Development Coordinator regarding my ATP Instructor Indoc date, which is April 5, 2021! It caught me by surprise as I was flight planning to pick my mom up from a local airport as she was coming home from a mini vacation. I was told an anticipated location, my choices during the selection went as following: Trenton (TTN), Morristown (MMU), and then First Available/No preference. I am super excited for this call-up as I’ve been trying to figure these next few months, now I have a game plan!

At first when I received the phone call, I was speechless and at a loss for words, it almost felt like a dream. I must say, I was just running fire calls in my hometown over the last few days, visiting family and spending time with loved ones, and shoveling tons of snow, being patient when this occurred. What was great was the individual calling me recognized my area code, which I do enjoy meeting people from my neck of the neighborhoods. I am looking at instructing at the Trenton-Mercer County Airport (TTN) in New Jersey for ATP. Here are a couple of reasons why I am choosing TTN:

1. The location between two busy class bravos (Newark & Philadelphia) give an extreme amount of practice with going into and out of busy airspaces with communications;

2. The route of flights that are used for cross-country and surrounding airports have amazing airport services and provide wonderful views, at night Philadelphia and New Jersey/New York provide amazing skylines to see in the distance;

3. Between the staff of instructors and students of ATP, I’ve made a lot of great individuals who I am extremely happy to call friends and soon to be coworkers; and

4. There is a lot of other reasons I chose Trenton, but I think the biggest one is it was where everything began, and I really enjoyed my time there and I would like to finish everything that I started there.

I am extremely excited to start the next journey, already began looking over the program outline for ATP Instructors, figuring out how I am going to accomplish things. Began looking at flights to book ahead of schedule, I feel like it’s CFI Academy all over again, but with a new mission in sight.

Brady

P.S. @Tory, you just said how you were anxious to see where my career was taking me 13 days ago, now we both know.

[Adam]

Very cool Brady!

As I think you know I instructed in TTN and it was fantastic! All the reasons you list are dead on. There are also tons of small airports in the area with every conceivable approach to give your students (and you) a wealth of options. AVP is like 51nm so it makes for quick easy X-country trips and when it’s quiet and you have good controllers you can even do rolling ILSs from TTN RWY 6 to PNE RWY 24 and back. The best part is I can promise you if your X-wind landings need any work within a few months you’ll be a X-wind Master!

Mucho congrats!

Adam

[Tory]

Brady!

I’m stoked for you! But in all honesty, this is a no brainer. I am not surprised that you received a CFI position. You are more than deserving. You had a perfect record, you actively participated on the forum which encourages other students to excel, and you have an undeniably good attitude. ATP is lucky to have you and so are we for all the time you’ve spent on here.

I look forward to hearing about your experiences from a CFI’s perspective. I am certain you will provide more value to the forum. But of course it’s more important to provide the highest value to your students. Please let us know if there is anything that we can help you with.

Tory

[Brady]

Adam,

I appreciate all the kind words and encouragement, Trenton did me very well and I’m excited to go back! As per:

@Adam

AVP is like 51nm so it makes for quick easy X-country trips and when it’s quiet and you have good controllers you can even do rolling ILSs

When is it ever quiet in and around these two bravo wedding cakes . I am very familiar with AVP, we use mostly LNS and RDG as well as ACY for instrument and cross-country flights, except for the private phase (if my memory serves well). To which every airport listed above has a least 2 runways no matter where you’re coming from! I did a trip to AVP in the Seminole because I had an extra hour rolled over from previous phases of training, that had to be of been the quickest time getting there.

Thanks again for everything you do!

Tory,

Thank you for all your words of encouragement, as you know I came onto this forum with intention to learn more about ATP and through the eyes of other students. I’ve met a lot of individuals from here who have encouraged me to always be striving forward regardless how difficult it may seem. I am very fortunate to be brought onto the team by ATP’s administration and look forward to working with my previous instructors as coworkers and always continue learning.

You know if there is anything to ask, I will be here. I remember my first thread, oh boy that was a trip. I showed my dad that thread earlier today and we both applaud how far I’ve came to the position I’m currently at. I will always be here to answer any questions future students have and interact with other alumni and graduates.

Thank you for everything you do on the forum!

Brady

[Hannah]

Congrats Brady!
You more than deserve this! You’re going to be an incredible CFI. Just remember, Never stop learning!
(I know you won’t:))

-Hannah

[Chris]

Brady,

I am so glad that you were offered a position with ATP, congratulations! You have been a great asset to the forum and are a testament to hard work and determination. I am very glad that ATP realized how hard you have worked, I am sure you will be a great addition to the team.

Since you will be in New Jersey, if you ever get a chance fly into 4N1 please do so. The runway is only 3,470’ long, so you might need to take that Archer of yours as I believe that is below ATP’s minimum runway length. There is an old TWA Lockheed Constellation on the field there that you can go in during business hours. Even in its advanced state of disrepair, it is still an amazing airplane to see. The cabin has been turned into an office, but the cockpit looks pristine. My grandfather spent many days and nights in that very airplane during his career with TWA.

Congratulations again! Notice the new tag next to your name

Chris

[Brady]

Hannah,

I appreciate the kinds words as always. I am prepared to continue learning. (:

Chris,

I just looked up 4N1, see it’s up by MMU, I have to take a trip there before the indoc! At Princeton (39N) I believe there’s a retired DC-3 that sits on the ramp. The few times I have Uber to MMU for plane swaps, I could never encourage a pit stop to check it out. That is another airport I would like to drop in.

As always, thank you for all the advice and encouragement, I’m looking forward to being an asset to the team and always grow no matter if it’s being a human or aviator. Excited to kickstart a brand new year with amazing goals!

Brady

[Chris]

Brady,

I do not get it when guys don’t want to take a few minutes to check out a piece of history like a DC-3 or a Connie. Now to be clear, the DC-3 has absolutely nothing on the Connie, but they are both pretty cool.

Chris

[Schwig4112 (Gabriel Schwind)]

Brady,
I guess I’m a little late to the party but congrats on getting it to CFI!! It’s been awesome to follow your journey to CFI!

[Brady]

Hey @Schwig4112,

I appreciate the kind words, please let me know if you have any questions, I can do my best to help you out anytime you need!

Brady

[Brady]

United Aviate Interview & Selection Results – 03/31/2021

It has been 62 days since I’ve lasted put an update out and things are moving along nicely as I wait for ATP Indoc. In the past two months, I’ve flown around 45 hours on the side of working part-time for a pilot friend’s non-aviation related business. I’ve conducted flight review and IPC’s at my local hometown airport, flown to Florida in a Mooney, given around 30 hours of dual instruction and visited my training center on a round trip the other week. I heard from United for their Aviate program and traveled to Denver, Colorado to interview via positive space. The biggest takeaway was that whether I was selected to the Aviate “eco-system,” it was a wonderful experience and prepared me for future encounters.

On January 15th I put an application through Airline Apps to United’s Aviate program. One month later United responded with a selection process inviting me to take a Leadership Inventory and Employee Aptitude Survey via PSI Exams. Two days after taking this survey I received an email from United inviting me out to an interview with the selected day of March 31st. They provided travel via United ‘Positive Space’ and a list of required documents along with interview day material. Since I received this email February 18th, I began suit shopping along with preparation of study materials that were sent in a “Technical Readiness Review Guide.”

Studying for this interview resulted in hours of looking into accident cases specific for United since CRM in aviation was first implemented by the company in 1978. A big case that I looked into was United Airlines Flight 232, a DC-10 flown by Captain Al Haynes, First Officer William Records and Flight Engineer Dudley Dvorak; these individuals had an estimated 65,000 flight hours combined. I highly recommend anyone that is searching for a CRM case to give The Impossible Landing - United Airlines Flight 232 a view.

On the day of the interview, I had an early start to the Flight Training Center (FTC) where ironically, I cross paths with an individual later in the morning. A Captain by the name of Mike assisted me on getting through the security checkpoint and told me where the café was to get breakfast. Everyone knew the purpose of why we were there, wishing us the best of luck. There was a total of 6 in my interview class, some current CFIs and others working on their ratings. We all became quick friends; I shared my lesson plans from my CFI training with two of our new friends.

For the panel interview, we were greeted by a HR representative and two United Captains who would ask questions and take notes. At this time, I realized that one of my interviewers was Mike, the Captain who helped me get checked in this morning. Thankfully we already broke the ice earlier and I was able to bring up how he helped me and I thanked him again. The questions were in a TMAAT and STAR style, we were informed not to rush and take our time answering anything, that this was our interview and time. The interview lasted around an hour. I was walked back to the room where I immediately was grabbed by a 737MAX Check Airmen. The Technical portion included having a flight plan bringing real-world weather data to discuss the flight. He reminded me that this was not a checkride, but a discussion where if either had questions we could ask one another. This last around 45 minutes, we had to memorize a procedure & criterion provided by United. Near the end we got into the discussion about his job and I learned he was a big GA pilot outside of work.

Today (Tuesday, April 6th) we all received word; whether we were accepted or not, I unfortunately was not accepted at this time. Remembering back to my flights home, as I was drinking my coffee looking out my window, I kept thinking of everything that happened in the interview. I started writing down the good and bad so I could learn and review. This was my first aviation interview and overall felt that I did good and can improve for next time. As Henry Ford once said, ”When everything seems to be going against you, remember that aicraft take off against the wind, not with it.” Everything that I can take away from the interview will only set me up for success in the future.

Indoc ground started Monday via Zoom, I go to Jacksonville later this month for the flying portions, then off to Trenton! I am excited to begin my time as a CFI for ATP.

Brady

[Hannah]

Brady,
Thank you as always for such a detailed and honest account. I’m sure you are disappointed at this time, but keep your eye on the prize. My first aviation interview was at 300 hours as well with Republic for their cadet program. I was told I “wasn’t accepted at this time” as well. I was disappointed and it hurt to hear but it does make you stronger if you learn from the experience. The next two cadet interviews I had, I received CJOs from both. If United is your dream, you can still get there. We are all proud of you and all you’ve accomplished so far. You still have many exciting job offers to come.
Set your focus on indoc, you’ve waited so long and it’s finally here!

-Hannah

[Brady]

Hannah,

I appreciate the kind words and positive encouragement. I am also proud of myself for stepping out of a comfort zone to actually do something this challenging. As you probably can remember, it was nerve racking thinking of everything you wanted to say or how to present it. I believe my weak part was TMAAT response, I will take some time in the future to practice and run mock interviews to prepare better for the next time.

I do my best to provide as accurate and detailed updates because I learned from previous students and I feel that maybe someone will benefit from my experience and grow themselves. I have to focus for indoc right now, there are always other opportunities and chances.

Brady

[Drew (Drew Wendorff)]

Brady,

Congrats on all your hard work! I am truly amazed by you, keep doing what your doing.

I am still a couple years out from starting at ATP, but I saw in your bio that you were taking firefighting classes while getting your PPL. I am supposed to start at a department soon and I was thinking about starting my PPL while firefighting and working, but not during academy. Is it a bad idea to try and juggle all of it or should I wait to only focus on flight school?

• Drew

[Brady]

Drew,

I appreciate your kind words and thank you for following along.

For the firefighting, I did not do the academy, I wanted too - but I opted out because of working fulltime at a financial institution. I did the 180+ hours essential classes that are required in PA to run into that burning building, plus heavy rescue, etc. I juggled it all well, I worked 8-4p most days, my classes were 6-9p M/W/F or T/Tr/S/S so I had time to eat and relax before jumping into the next thing. The other thing that I juggled was sleep, being a volunteer I wanted to feel apart of the department and community, so I would wake up in the middle of the night when the pager would go off, and on the weekend I would go to community events for PR. I would fit flying in when I had the opportunity because money was an issue during my PPL.

If I could go back and redo my private, I would’ve waited to have the funds all together, and pound it out in a few months rather then 10 months (not counting the 3 months of downtime for local flight school shutdown). I look back and see how my performance was not as consistent and proficient during my time at ATP. I am happy with how I did everything though, shows that it is possible and took a lot of work and dedication.

Brady

[Matt724 (Matthew R)]

Brady,

Thank you for your insight about the Aviate Program! It is definitely on my wishlist.

I start this coming Monday (12th) at Trenton, looking forward to meeting you!

Matt

[Brady]

Matthew,

Looking forward to meet you as well! Hope you’re getting excited, less than a week now.

I am working on some FAQs and research that can answer common questions that are coming up frequently because the program is extremely new, and we’re all learning so much about it.

Brady

[Matt724 (Matthew R)]

Brady,

I’m very excited. The weather is starting to break here and should be a fun time to begin learning to fly!

Excellent, thank you for putting the time in to write that. I’m sure I’ll be picking your brain quite a bit about it.

Matt

[Drew (Drew Wendorff)]

That’s awesome! Thanks for the insight and advice.

• Drew

[Brady]

First Checkride Sign Off & Pass!

Hey everyone,

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted an update, ATP Instructor Indoc was really exciting, two flights and I was back home. When I arrived into Trenton I was on a ‘waitlist’ for a student, there where two private pilot phase students that had checkrides scheduled, I was bound to get one of them. I did not get the first student, but helped prepare the other as much as I could with extra ground and sim sessions, per their request (I was extremely happy to help). Over the last few weeks I’ve been giving some extra ground and sims to those who ask for an extra set of eyes. Everyone has come to know me from their instructors advice as “I’m the guy that loves to help everyone.”

In the middle of my newly private pilot’s instrument training, some staff changes where made to our training center because some individuals got their call regional, we said our farewells and wished them the best. I adopted another instructors’ student who had a few flights remaining in their instrument phase because they took on the Lead Instructor role. I had about 6 or 7 flights with this student, adjusted some minor things with pitch & power, taught some trim techniques to relieve workload and cleaned briefing approach plates while scanning their instruments. I gave him study strategies and guidance on where he could begin; he was willing to spend every day and every hour preparing, I was right there by his side for every hour I could helping him.

Checkride day was today, temperature in the high 90’s, and he passed his Instrument Add-On checkride, with a big smile on his face! He told me how crazy his crab angle was due to wind gust short final, I could see it as I watched his final approach, but he did everything he needed to in order to make it a successful landing.

There was the café next door on the airport field to where the oral was being conducted and I was able to ‘snag’ a bite, make new friends and await for the results of the oral. I had this gut feeling that: I’m inside the café that is air conditioned, eating my waffle covered in fruit and seasoned fries, while my newly adopted student that I just signed off for a checkride is kicking off his exam.

At the end of the day, I learned a lot about a student’s stress from an instructor’s eyes, not just from my own experience as a student. I think I did every best possible scenario to help him succeed and pass, adding another rating and checkride pass to his pilot certificate. No matter the time of the day, I would always send him a text saying “I’ll be in the training center at this time,” or “How are you feeling today, are you ‘good’,” and “Do you need anything, heading to the nearest food stop.” I always encouraged taking a 5-min break every hour just to stretch the legs and let the mind refresh.

I am excited to continue my development as an instructor, my “primary” student is more than halfway done with his instrument phase and I constantly remind him that if you put the work and energy into it, everything will fall into place.

Brady