Pilot’s Digest: Tell us a little about yourself.
Jorge Rodarte-Cruz: My name is Jorge Rodarte-Cruz. I’m a Dallas local and I’ve been doing flight training with American Flyers since May 2019.
PD: How did you get into flying?
JR: My father is a corporate pilot, so I have luckily had the opportunity to be around aviation since I was a child.
PD: How did you go about choosing a flight school?
JR: Living close to Addison Airport, I toured several schools. I had seen advertisements about American Flyers online and had driven past the school many times. Friends of mine that are pilots had also recommended that American Flyers was worth looking into.
PD: What made you choose American Flyers?
JR: After being given a tour around campus, I found American Flyers’ training program to be the most welcoming and best fitting program for what I was looking for in-flight training.
PD: How much outside studying did you have to put in during your time with AF?
JR: Since I chose to do flight training full-time, I found myself studying nearly every day. I knew that I needed to put in a lot of time outside of campus to be able to have an easier time fully grasping everything that came with flight training.
PD: What is your most memorable moment at American Flyers?
JR: It would have to be my first solo flight. The feeling of taxiing, taking off, and landing an aircraft by yourself for the first time is a memory that will always stick with me.
PD: Looking back, what advice would you give someone interested in starting pilot training?
JR: Dedicate as much time as possible towards setting milestones for yourself. Although sometimes difficult, setting short-term goals throughout each phase of training will have you seeing how much you’re accomplishing after each lesson.
PD: What’s next for you?
JR: After I get my instructor certificates, I plan to jump right into multi-engine training and get my MEL.
PD: If you could fly anywhere, go to any flying destination, where would it be?
JR: Bali, Indonesia is on my bucket list!