Patrick Keith Williams, A Day In The Life of A Certified Flight Instructor

Patrick Williams
Nov 1 · 5 min read
Patrick Keith Williams, Certified Flight Instructor, Member of The Arizona Pilots Association and National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI), teaching in the Phoenix Valley of The Sun.

Since the age of 5, I have always wanted to be a Professional Pilot. We can thank my Dad for this. It was his gift of a Discovery Flight over the lights of The Plaza shopping district, in Kansas City, Missouri that piqued my interest in aviation. So today, in my 50’s I spend my time teaching others how to fly. I am a Commercial Pilot and a Certified Flight Instructor. I am sanctioned by the Federal Aviation Administration to teach a person how to take an aircraft into the air and fly like a bird. So, what is a typical day for me? Let me tell you.

My days usually start at 4 am why the annoying alarm sound of my Alexa Dot springs to life. 4 am because I know it takes me an hour to get ready, and I am usually due to be at the airport by 5:30 am or 6. All of the Phoenix Valley airports are within an hour from my home, and at that early hour, the traffic on the freeway is relatively light. I normally instruct from Glendale Airport, Chandler Airport, Deer Valley Airport, of Falcon Field, but I am able to teach from any airport, wherever I have a student with a desire to learn.

First flight of the day with “K”. 18-year-old student, soon to be a professional pilot.

Today’s first student, let’s call him “K” is a 18-year-old senior in high school. He has decided he wants to be an airline pilot and he is doing the right thing by starting early. After a 15-minute ground session where we discuss the maneuvers that we are going to do, we head out to the airplane to pre-flight. Pre-flight consists of checking the airplane to make sure it is in an airworthy condition. We check the plane out inside and out and it is ready to go. We spend about an hour and 15 minutes flying in the local practice area doing maneuvers such as slow flight, stall, and steep turns. We even do a simulated engine failure scenario where the young student pilot has to attempt an engine restart, while safely piloting the plane to a safe landing spot where if the engine failure was real he would have safely landed the plane. We head back to the airport, where he lands the airplane with only a slight float down the runway. Two months ago this kid had never flown an airplane, and now he is landing like a seasoned pro. Soon he will earn his Private Pilot Certificate, and beyond he will probably fly for the airlines.

My second student of the day, we will call him “F”. F is late to the game of flight, but he is even more determined to earn his wings. F is a gentleman in his 70’s, and he actually has several physical impairments that would have grounded a less determined person. But he continues on. I can understand having a dream to fly and F is pursuing his dream. Today, F and I are working on landings. Landings are the most difficult phase of flight. To be frank, F is not as coordinated as he once was, but he is still quite capable of getting the aircraft on the ground safely. After spending an hour in the traffic pattern doing touch and go landing, he is ready to call it a day. His landings are getting better and soon he will be flying the airplane on his own.

“R” after his FIRST SOLO.

My third student of the day, let’s call him “R”. R owns his own handyman business. He has been a successful property manager and contractor for years. But he too can hear the siren call of flight. It is his goal to become a professional pilot. At present, this is a good time to go into aviation, as there is a pilot shortage. Our session today is focused on planning a Cross Country flying. We spend the next two hours talking about the intricacies of cross country flight, from planning to airport use to navigation using the Global Positioning System and ground-based navigation electronics. We successfully plan out our next flight which will be a cross country flight from the Glendale Airport to Prescott, to the beautiful airport situated among the Red Rocks of Sedona and return. He is happy with his planning, I am satisfied with his work, and we schedule the actual flight.

Being a Certified Flight Instructor is not an easy job. Yes, I am doing what I love. I tell people my profession is IT, but my passion is aviation. Today I have instructed three people at distinctly different phases of their lives. But they all have one thing in common a desire to fly. But I am the lucky one. I get to teach them, and I get to pass on some of my passion for flying to future pilots. I look forward to instruction for as long as possible. It’s what I love.

For information about me check out my article: Patrick Keith Williams Today, here on Medium. For more information on becoming a Pilot, give me a call at (928)291–4359.

Patrick Williams

Written by

Commercial Pilot, Certified Flight Instructor, Photographer, Web Designer, Writer

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