Many of us have had a coach or instructor at one point in our lives who were obviously miserable with their career. Whether it was their attitude or lackluster effort, you could tell they didn’t want to be where they were, doing what they were doing. And this impacted the quality of education they delivered.
While sometimes this can’t be avoided, people ultimately want to learn and work with those who are excited about what they’re doing. This is what breeds success, both on a personal level and for a company.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” –Steve Jobs
This quote captures the importance of finding your passion and doing what you love. Essentially, if you love and enjoy what you do, you’ll do it well. Pursuing a career with this mindset means being committed to growth; not being afraid to take risks, and leading and training others by example.
Meet Emmanuel Kipkorir, CFI
Emmanuel Kipkorir is embodying the principle of finding your passion. Growing up in Kenya, Emmanuel would see airplanes flying overhead all of the time. This made him want to become a pilot, so he could someday fly airplanes himself. One of his parents was a teacher and seeing them instruct and help others instilled in him a love for instruction. But to get the training and education he desired, Emmanuel knew that he would need to leave Kenya. So when he became an adult, he Googled “the best flight schools in the United States” and discovered American Flyers.
Without knowing anyone in the United States, Emmanuel flew to Florida to pursue his passion of flying and teaching. Today, he is a Certified Flight Instructor, with hopes of becoming an FAA Inspector one day. Emmanuel also dreams of returning to Kenya to share his passion for flying with other students.
Until then, he is accomplishing extraordinary things as a CFI at American Flyers. One student he instructed, for example, was struggling to execute the VMC maneuver correctly. Emmanuel worked closely with the student, tailoring his instruction to a style of learning he determined would work better for her unique needs. Then, after just one training flight, the FAA re-administered the exam, and the student passed on the first attempt.
We recognize that every student learns differently. Some learn visually and some learn better through hands-on simulations. But it’s all about helping students form an understanding and make clear connections. This is what American Flyers CFIs are trained to do. They customize the training and make reasonable accommodations so that each student receives quality instruction that meets their needs.
This shows how training with purpose and passion breeds success. If Emmanuel hadn’t practiced patience and a genuine love for the art of flying, this student’s training would have been compromised tremendously, and she likely would not have advanced.
A Commitment to Growth and Success
Like all CFIs with American Flyers, Emmanuel takes pride in his instruction ability and does what he needs to continuously improve. Another example of this was a time when he was training in-flight with a student working towards an ADP certification. The student nervously pressed the wrong button and effectively turned off the engine…while they were in the air.
New students make mistakes. That’s just a fact. When the training is new and they’re nervous about being in a plane or in the air, unpredictable situations can occur. This environment, though, is what sharpens a CFIs knowledge, professionalism, and skill. Unlike in “low and slow” banner-type flights, when steps are relatively predictable, training new students can present a variety of new situations every time you’re in the air. Flight training can require quick thinking, emotional preparedness, and proactivity. And each time a new situation occurs, not only does the student learn from the experience, but the instructor learns from it as well. This is what builds confidence and success in being a CFI by training new pilots, and it requires passion to embrace it.
American Flyers’ CFIs
American Flyers takes the art of flight training very seriously. We hire CFIs who are committed to growth, excited about the practice, and feel passionate about instructing others. This is what makes us different from other flight training schools.
For Emmanuel, seeing those “a-ha” moments from students who finally “got it” and passed is what it’s all about. “It’s very rewarding,” he said in an interview when he sees his students pass exams and thank him for his help.
If aviation, professional development, witnessing others succeed, and reaching new heights (literally and figuratively) excites you, get in touch with us. American Flyers doesn’t just train pilots. We also train leaders.