By Andrew Henley
Rachel Martinez has a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is a graduate of American Flyers’ 30-Day CFI Academy. After completing the Academy, Rachel was recruited in August 2016 to teach as a Flight Instructor at the Pompano Beach, Fla., school location. While working as a Flight Instructor, she gained additional experience in customer service and scheduling, which led to her promotion as Senior Flight Instructor in January 2017, including Check-Airman Flight Instructor responsibilities.
“My story is simple: Through high school I thought of many different careers, such as doctor or architect, but the one that stuck in my mind was being a pilot. Since I couldn’t shake the feeling and being the only person in my family to do anything aviation related, my Mom drove me down to Homestead Airport in Florida, where I got to go on a few flights through EAA’s Young Eagles Program. After that day, I was hooked and knew I wanted to be a pilot,” Rachel Martinez said.
Rachel is committed to making herself a better Pilot and Instructor. She is dedicated to learning new ways to explain complex topics while breaking it down for students in a way that best fits their learning styles. Even though all American Flyers Flight Instructors are standardized, Rachel truly strives to understand how her students learn and adjusts her teaching style to ensure learning is fun and simple for her students.
This past year, a student came to American Flyers with the goal of completing his Instrument Rating in ten days. Rachel prepared a customized plan to ensure his success in a short timeframe, which required focus and dedication from both the student and Instructor. She actually helped the student complete his training in 8 days! She was so strongly committed to her student’s goal, that she came in on her day off so she could shake his hand after he completed his check-ride.
Rachel is now Assistant Chief Instructor at the Houston, Texas, school located at the David Wayne Hooks Airport. With her passion for aviation and dedication to her students, Rachel embodies the characteristics and true definition of an American Flyers Chief Pilot.