Pilot Careers
I Get Paid for This…
Mike Seager Finished building your RV? Mike Seager will teach you how to fly it safely. Interview by Yayeri van Baarsen
How did you get into flying?
Waiting at the bus shed for the school bus, I’d watch aircraft fly over, thinking that’d be a great way to make a living. I became an aircraft mechanic in the USAF and joined their aeroclub when I was stationed in Korea, where I also obtained my PPL. I soon realised flying aircraft was a lot more fun than working on them. Tell us about your job?
I’m an RV flight trainer, providing transition training for all Van’s aircraft from my base in Vernonia, Oregon. The RV-7 and RV-9A are Flying CV kept here in the hangar and if someone needs With 20,000 hours flying Van’s an RV-10, 12, 14 or 14A, I’ll pick up that RVs, transition trainer for Van’s model from the factory. I teach people from Aircraft, Mike Seager is the highest all over the world and with all different time RV pilot in the world. backgrounds. Started current job 1993 The programme is tailored to the Now flying RV-4, 6, 6A, 7, 7A, 9, 9A, 10, 12, 14, 14A individual student. Obviously a private pilot Favourite aircraft RV-7 & RV-14. “I like the with only 100 hours and no tailwheel time RV-7 as it’s a sporty tailwheel, but the RV-14 is needs longer than an Air Force captain with a good for cross-country with its huge cockpit” tailwheel endorsement and 25,000 hours Hours at job start Approx 4,800 Hours now Approx. 24,000 experience in various aircraft. The most common thing a pilot needs to work on when transitioning is getting used to the controls, which are very light to the touch. An RV responds Van’s best ambassador, visiting fly-ins, giving rides and showing off instantly, you hardly have to move the stick – just think and it my aeroplane. Building on my own RV background as well as my happens. That’s why I spend most of my time teaching pilots not to experience as a flight instructor, I eventually developed the over-control the aircraft. Another major thing is teaching them transition training programme. how to land it safely – these are small aircraft with a big engine. Many pilots have plenty of flying time in their Cessna 150 or What’s been your favourite flight? 172, but no experience in such a little hot-rod. These aircraft are That’s a hard one as there’s been so much fun flying in my career. unique enough that you need transition training – it’s definitely a Once when flying in Florida we watched a Space Shuttle take-off, safety thing. You can’t just build one, get in and fly it. which was special, and in my early years I’ve flown up to Canada The biggest obstacle is when people spend five years building for fishing, which was also great. I especially have fond memories of their RV and forget to fly in that time. This means they have to get all kinds of fly-ins, Sun ’n Fun and Oshkosh. themselves current first before they can start transition training. But when they then finally get to fly the aircraft they’ve spent all those And your favourite airfield? hours building, they’re incredibly excited. Vernonia, my home airfield. It’s a quiet little public airfield, with a For me, this is the perfect job. I get to meet new enthusiastic 3,000ft grass strip and six aircraft, and it’s well-known in the people every week, fly high-performance aircraft and set my own RV-community. I’ve flown out of it for 40 years now. schedule. I’m 68, but I’ll probably continue doing this until I’m 75 – it’s so much fun! Do you get to fly much outside of work? Rarely, it’s almost all work nowadays. I fly about 700 hours a year, What training did you have? so when I have time off, flying just doesn’t seem like the right thing There’s no actual course for becoming a transition trainer. I was to do. already a flight instructor when in 1982 I helped my friend Kefton Black build his RV-4. I test-flew that aircraft, taught Kefton to fly it What is your most valuable career advice? safely and borrowed it all the time. Just go for it. If you’re interested in a career in aviation, the world is In 1987 I got my RV-6 kit and after working on it for three years, wide open. Well, not right now, but when COVID-19 has passed, I first flew it on 10 April 1990. It all evolved from there: I became airlines will be begging for pilots. So go get those ratings!
“I get to meet new enthusiastic people every week”
18 | FLYER | December 2020
