Pilot Finds His Way to Unexpected Classroom

When us airline types are asked, “when and where did you first begin training?” we usually respond with day one of company basic indoctrination at our respective training centers. But in retrospect we forget that training began much before our airline employment, with many of us experiencing the gamut from casual to highly structured.

For me, training began with the Private Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, at age 15, which was about the time I committed to becoming an airline pilot, specifically for American Airlines. Lacking any firm strategy on just how to finance my budding addiction, I determined it was best to start reading the handbook from cover to cover despite minimal comprehension.