Ashleigh Fenn discovered her passion for flying by accident. She had gone to Australia to visit her brother with the intent of staying there for 10 months, but realized after 3 weeks that it wasn’t the right time for her to be there. Instead she decided to stay at her family’s condo in Palm Beach for the winter. Her dad, a GA pilot and aviation attorney, suggested she take some flying lessons while she was there.
She earned her Private and says that the training became almost addictive. She got her Instrument rating, Multi Engine Private, Commercial, and now her CFI’s. She’s planning on becoming an Airline Pilot after she gains some experience instructing. Her older brother James, who’d begun his flying before Ashleigh, came to American Flyers to work on his Private and ended up asking her for help!
Ashleigh’s dad owns a C-340 and one of the best things to come out of this experience is the bonding with her father. Dad loves to fly with his little girl!
I came to American Flyers at the beginning of the summer with no more than 130 hours and told Dave Huser I wanted my CFI before the end of the summer. Within 48 hours, Dave and Randy Weber, chief flight instructor, had a program specially tailored to my situation and I was to start training the next day at 9 a.m! I started Instrument training first, and after finishing that in little over four weeks, I started what I consider to be my master’s degree in flying, the CFI. Notice I didn’t mention anything about my commercial rating. Dave, Randy and Jill Cardosi, my primary flight instructor, found a way to help me accomplish my commercial rating concurrently with the CFI, which was very demanding of me as a student. I had to learn to teach commercial students before I was even a commercial pilot! I took my Commercial check ride and immediately after started working towards my CFI signoff. I started school in August with a CFI rating in my pocket and a smile on my face.
American Flyers helped me achieve my goal no matter how large it was. Anytime the weather was good (or IMC!) I had an airplane in my hands and a world class instructor to help me with it! I know for a fact that this would not have been possible anywhere else on the airport, and anywhere else in the country, it might have lead to disaster. Thank you for helping me achieve my goals, and I hope to join you all this summer as an American Flyers Flight Instructor!