Magic B EI N G PA R T O F TH E

By Capt. Nathan Maki

stay proficient, which would require more money than typically is necessary. Normally, you take a series of lessons that would usually lead to an expeditious solo flight, so I had a problem. Butch submitted an excellent idea. After our flight in a Cessna 172, he recommended that I go to the small grass airport nearby and continue flight training in a glider. It is a less-expensive solution. I took his advice, and met Randy, who owns and operates Cape Cod Soaring Adventures. Flying gliders is awesome!

It is exciting to be part of the magic that is aviation! Moreover, it is exhilarating and pure joy to experience flight. It is a true gift to be able to share it. Some will tell you that money makes airplanes fly. That is not the whole truth. Passionate people make planes fly (and Bernoulli’s principle). If you truly desire to be a pilot, you will. Let nothing stop you. Today, I am a captain at a major airline, but I did not start here. I encountered many obstacles on my journey to the airlines. The path must be flexible, and you can never give up on your dreams!

Growing up in New England, I did not have much money, but I had plenty of passion and people to help me. In the summer of 1986, two things happened, my uncle Dick took me to an airshow on Cape Cod, and the movie Top Gun came out. I was eight years old; I always wanted to be a pilot; I was going to be a pilot; and what I saw that day at the airshow sealed the deal for me. There was no turning back. (Go to an airshow!)

That summer, my birthday was approaching, as it does every August, and I asked my father for an introductory flying lesson. He said yes, but added that I had to wait until I was ten years old. It turns out I had to wait until I was twelve years old for my first lesson. My father and I went to our local airport, entered Hyannis Air Service, and met my flight instructor, Butch. He was a kind man, a retired Air Force pilot. He was perfect!

He told us that twelve was an excellent age to begin flying lessons and warned it could get expensive. I could not solo until I was sixteen. Four years is a long time to

As a side story: I rode my bicycle to that grass airport to hang out and meet pilots when I was around eleven years old. I was told that if I mowed the grass runways with their farm tractor, I might get a ride in an airplane. I mowed that airport for hours and hours, day after day. I was just so excited to be on the field and near the action! When I asked about an airplane ride, the management gave me a t-shirt. Oh well, it was a fun summer and I got to do something unique.

Later, before I had my driver’s license, I got a job driving a fuel truck on the Hyannis Airport for Griffin Avionics. Initially, Mr. Griffin had doubts about my ability to drive the fuel truck. I told him of my extensive experience driving the tractor on the grass airport. He was beginning to see it my way. Just when I thought he might waver, I blurted out, “I fly airplanes here, I am sure I can drive the truck.” He nodded in agreement and hired me on the spot!

Around this time, I was required to get a FAA medical exam to solo. The doctor failed me for color vision. I thought I was finished! My first medical said I could only fly during the day, which was a problem. He suggested I reach out to the FAA and apply for a waiver, which I did. I passed their color light test with a 100%. The restrictions were removed! I can now pass any class of medical exam with my waiver and fly at night.

Finally, I soloed in a Cessna 152 at sixteen years old, and I earned my private pilot’s license at seventeen. I was lucky to have a very supportive father; between all of his support and some of my money, I earned my wings. He took a few flying lessons too, but I believe he gave up on his dream of flying so that I could continue mine. Thank you, dad. Many airports offer a private pilot ground school. Your local flight school will have the best information, but make sure you ask! Sometimes the class is only once a year.

Now, I have advice for the day dreamers. I had a difficult freshman year of high school. I have no idea why, but my grades were bad. Leading up to my freshman year of high school, my plan was to attend college at the US Naval Academy, because it is free. Well, I got my grades up, but not enough to be competitive for the Naval Academy. I needed to go to college, finish flight training, and pay for it. I was accepted to three other universities. I decided to attend Oklahoma State University. At the time, it was purely a financial decision. The school’s tuition was reasonable and the cost of living was low. I had no money saved for school, so I took out student loans to pay for just about everything. If I had to do it over, I would choose to go to Oklahoma State because the people and the program are exceptional. They also have developed relationships with airlines for internships. During my time at OSU, I got straight A’s and earned an important internship at TWA. As a result of my success there, TWA offered to hire me as pilot. Except when I was qualified, they no longer existed. I was flying for a small regional airline at the time.

More people stepped-in to help me. Friends from college had moved onto other airlines and they helped me get hired at a Denver based airline flying the Airbus A320. I loved working there. However, in 2009, that company filed bankruptcy. I decided not to stay there, and learned of other larger legacy airlines hiring.

Truly, where there is a will, there is a way. There were many times when I thought a career as a pilot was just not meant to be. That is not true. What is true is that, at times, it is difficult; but it is worth it! Obstacles will come, and you can conquer them. All the obstacles build experiences that build on each other. The tractor led to a fuel truck, the truck to the Cessna, the Cessna to turboprops and regional jets. Now I have flown the 737, A320, 757, 767, and 787, just to name a few. I am grateful for my parents for helping me make a beginning. I am grateful for all the friends I have met along the way. Do not let anything stop you! Ask for help when you need to. There are plenty of people willing to help you if you have the passion to fly.