5 quick questions for: Eelke / Instructor at E-Flight Academy
Introduce yourself in 5 words
1. Luchtvaart
Cozy
3. BBQ
Cars
5. Uhm..... Wait! (Is that also one word?)
What attracted you to start working at E-Flight Academy?
The fact that founders Matthijs and Evert-Jan had the guts to do this. I used to work at a large flight school in Switzerland. I saw that E-Flight Academy was starting on Linkedin and immediately contacted them. I think I only spoke with both gentlemen for about 10 minutes and then I left for Teuge. Looking back, quite a crazy move. But sometimes you have those opportunities that you just have to seize. Because how great is it to be part of this from the beginning?!
What is typical for you as a flight instructor?
I try not to make everything too difficult. My mantra is simply: Enjoy flying and go for it! In my opinion, there are many instructors who make flying too complicated. Procedures, theory, long explanations. Of course, there is a lot to consider! And procedures are extremely important, but flying is more than that. Just sit comfortably in that thing and I will guide you through it. Or not. It really depends on the student. Sometimes I have 4 different students in one day, each requiring a different approach. This is based on intuition. I am convinced that everyone can learn to fly. It is up to the instructor to sense what works best for each individual. And that is a rather long answer to the question of what characterizes me as an instructor. The short version is: I believe I have a good sense of what works best for each individual.
Is electric flying also interesting for professional training?
Yes indeed! In Switzerland, I have trained many pilots for the commercial Aviation. The first 30 to 40 hours are always single-engine and VFR. So those could already be fully electric now. And I just can't think of a reason why you wouldn't want that as an aviation company. It is actually a very nice and directly applicable way to contribute to the sustainability of aviation.
Moreover, I really think it's just a matter of (a very short) time before an airline here at E-Flight will start training pilots electrically.
Do you have anything else super important to add?
No not really. Just come and enjoy electric flying! I'm there almost every day, so I will definitely see you. The most important thing is that you enjoy every flight. Students fly with us for fun. So it has to be fun no matter what. That's what I get up for every day and do my best for every day!
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Are you getting excited about flying electrically?