The Day I Became a Professional Pilot

14 June 2016   |  Updated on February 05, 2024

To me, the ā€œProfessional Pilotā€ is a really loose term. Iā€™ve read Twitter bios that say ā€˜Professional Pilot,ā€™ only to find out the person is a private pilot. But what really defines a pilot as a professional pilot? As a lifelong student of aviation, I always thought a Professional Pilot was someone who was a paid pilot; but as Iā€™ve progressed into my career, there was one initial moment that made me truly feel like a professional. It was when I decided not to fly.

You might be thinking, ā€œCharlie that doesnā€™t make sense.,ā€ but hear me out. Iā€™ve been flying for a solid decade now; Iā€™m not very old, but Iā€™ve been flying for the better part of my life. Initially after I received my single engine Commercial certificate (ā€˜licenseā€™ as many non-aviators call it), I felt like I was a true professional. I was finally legally able to charge for my services as a pilot. As many pilots in my situation, I did not yet have the experience to actually get hired anywhere…so I continued on. I added my Commercial-multi, Multiple Engine Instructor and Single Engine Instructor (MEI, CFI). My plans were to instruct my way into the experience I needed for a job, which is the track for 90% [made-up statistic] of aviators. Then in February of this year, I purchased a Cessna 172P and decided right away to put a Garmin 530 in it.

Cessna 172P, N98492

It took about a week for the entire installation; they guaranteed to have the plane finished by Saturday morning if I brought it to them on Monday morning. I complied and flew it to the airport with the maintenance hangar and landed in 35 knot winds with a maximum crosswind component, so I could get the plane back by Saturday. As a pilot from Kansas, Iā€™m comfortable with strong winds, and that landing was one of my better ones. Was this what defined me? No. Strong winds (to an extent) are something in every pilotā€™s toolbag in Kansas. The real pressure was getting the airplane back.

Like any typical flight instructor, I booked myself from the minute I thought Iā€™d have the airplane back until sunset. I had plans on Sunday and without a plane, I hated the idea of missing a weekend. I woke up on Saturday morning to extremely low clouds which would have required a 600 foot ceilingĀ into Manhattan (KMHK). Of course, this was something I was capable of, but I remember thinking that I hadnā€™t had a chance to use the new Garmin 530 or the new Garmin Course Indicator (CDI) we recently added. I remember being highly upset because I needed the plane to fly after being down for a week–I was thinking the exact things people had warned me to watch out for as a commercial pilot.

After calling my students, verifying I could get a ride another day and move some of my work around, I called the radio shop and hoped they would have room to keep the plane. I honestly stared at my phone, pissed that I was making this phone call. Besides icing, extreme winds and thunderstorms, I hadnā€™t missed a lot of flight time since I had obtained my instrument rating. After I told the owner the situation, he responded ā€œIā€™m actually impressed you made that decision, and I do believe you made a wise one.ā€ I finished up the phone call and sat there thinking about what he had said while I reflected on the situation.

Telluride Approach

Making the ā€œgo, no goā€ decision had never really been that big of a deal to me. If it was crappy weather during training, we simply rescheduled. I hadnā€™t had a flight where factors like people, economics, scheduling and others had such an effect if I made the decision to not go. I realized I had made my first hard decision about flying and tried to relish in the moment. I know there will be plenty more moments like this, but this was truly my first day as a Professional Pilot. The biggest decision you could face is a ā€œgo, no goā€ decision. It could be the difference between walking away from the end of the flight and, well…not. Understand, even if there are huge pressures on you to make a flight, you are the Professional. Rise to the occasion, donā€™t be pressured by it.

Wheels up,

Charlie