“Hey I can do this, I did this. This is my dream, I am one step closer.” – Norbert

My name is Norbert Santana, I’m from the Dominican Republic, and I’m currently taking the instrument rating course here at Flying Academy L.A.
“I took a trip from the Dominican Republic to Texas when I was back 6 years old for the first time coming to the US, and the pilot of the company that I flew with, he gave me his wings and as a little kid, I thought it was the coolest thing on the world, later on, I got to see what the inside of a cockpit looks like, and that’s why kind of make me wanna get into aviation”.
Get in touch with Flying Academy.

“There is a lot of schools that unfortunately don’t paid attention to the students and what their needs are, and you know you go in the class and it is almost as they see you as a tuition. They don’t see you as a real person trying to learn and gain experience. They are moving you all around in your schedule and stuff like that. Here at Flying Academy, every time that I need to take a flight it’s there, I just need to go in, there is no problem, and they really make me feel like, these people are trying to help me evolve my pilot career and that’s number one for me”.

What would you say to a student that just joined Flying Academy?
“I would say you made de right choice, it is absolutely the funniest thing that you can do, with your clothes on! it’s definitely great, it takes a lot of hard work, but, what doesn’t? And I recommend you just calm down, just take a flight, just one flight and see what it is like, and you will know if it is for you or not, and the most people, you know, they really go crazy, so that’s all I can say, just come and try out”.

Flying Academy creates a multicultural learning environment with students from all over the world. This is an opportunity for everyone to be surrounded by students from different cultures and gain a broader understanding that can better prepare them for their future career. Our school offers a lot of opportunities and gives the required support to fullfil their dreams of becoming professional and successful pilots.

Gustavo’s Interview, Flying Academy’s Student and now Interjet’s First Officer in Mexico. Sukhoi Superjet 100.

We just had the opportunity to interview one of our former students, Gustavo Angeles from Mexico who nowadays is a First Officer at Interjet, he shared with us how was his experience in our course from Zero hours to Commercial

https://flyingacademy.com/pilot-training/ab-initio-faa/faa-0-cpl/

Before arriving at Flying Academy, what were my concerns and fears?
Gustavo: After talking it with my family and once it became a fact that I was going to study in a school in the United States, my main fears naturally were, the language and the fact that I did not know anyone in the city. As expected, when I arrived for the first time I felt melancholy and a little scared, because in the end, I was in a foreign country, away from my family and friends, and without knowing for sure what it was waiting for me. Despite feeling enthusiastic about the fact that I was going to learn to fly, it was impossible for me not to feel uncertainty, mixed feelings and why not, a little panic.

What were your expectations about Flying Academy, and were those exceeded or not?
Gustavo: “To tell the truth, my first expectations were very simple; learn to fly, get my commercial license and return to Mexico to find work. However, what I had to live was incredibly special, because not only did I achieve what I expected, but it also brought me a collection of memories and adventures that will always live inside me. Flying Academy was not only an aviation school for me, but it was also a life camp. Thanks to its international program, I was able to meet people from literally around the world. People who shared a taste for aviation and who came just like me, without knowing anyone and wanting to live a new experience. For the same reason, it did not take more than three days to find a new family in a foreign country. So yes, my expectations were exceeded and by far.”

How was your process in Flying Academy, did you like it, was it easy?
Gustavo: “My passing through Flying Academy was a life adventure. Everything that I had to live helped me to break schemes and to improve myself as I had never done before. From overcoming the traditional language barrier to being independent in every way, from learning to land an airplane to do a solo cross – country. From something so scary as to how to do a check ride with an FAA examiner to something as rewarding as having a beer and eating a good burger after a long day of study. Flying Academy was a place that opened the doors to a new world and with the help of each one of its instructors and staff members, they helped me to be a better pilot. Did I like? I loved it.It was easy? Definitely not. It was not easy, but it was worth one hundred percent. And in fact, it was because it was not easy, that I learned everything I learned. Nothing worthwhile comes easily.”

What did you like most about Flying Academy?
Gustavo: “There were several things that I take from my stay at Flying Academy. First of all, the fact that I learned to do something I love; FLY. Second, the opportunities that the school gave me to make my schedule in my own way and how much they helped me to achieve my goals. Thanks to the flexibility they offered me, I was able to finish the program from zero to commercial with multi-engine in 10 months. Third, the friendships I did. I can say without the slightest fear of being wrong, that while I was in Miami, I never felt lonely, sad or eager to return to my home. Quite the opposite. I lived the experience as best as I could and managed to return to Mexico with my head held high and proud of my achievements.”

How was the process of validation in Mexico?
Gustavo: “Tedious. However, that is just a bad thing that afflicts the institutions of my country and is the same for everyone. In Mexico, you can take longer to validate than you take to finish the training. However, I would not change my experience at Flying Academy for anything in the world, so if I had to choose again, I would choose to study a thousand times in the United States.”

How was the transition to an airline?
Gustavo: “Maybe the most challenging thing I’ve done in my life. No doubt flying a commercial airplane on an airline like Interjet is challenging but simply rewarding. The admission process was long (it took around 5 months) but it was worth every minute of waiting. I had the opportunity to take the training of the Sukhoi Superjet 100, a Russian production plane that is simply beautiful. I am currently flying that plane and I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to fly it. My father has always told me that “an airplane is an airplane and flying is flying. An aviator makes his path flying, and the more planes he or she fly, the better he/she become” For this reason, I am very grateful for the blessing of having a job, the most beautiful work, and being able to enjoy it flight by flight.”

Would you recommend Flying Academy as the first option?
Gustavo: “Definitely yes! As I mentioned earlier, Flying Academy helped me develop the skills I needed to achieve my entry into the world of work. The medium of aviation is fantastic because it is fun and challenging at the same time. Each flight is different, regardless of whether you have done it before. You have to study a lot, but it’s worth it when you get to sit in a jet cabin more than thirty thousand feet high. In my opinion, Flying Academy has all the means to help future pilots develop fully in this aviation world. Both for the quality of its instructors, its facilities, the airport in which they are located (KTMB), the internationality of their students, the warmth of their staff and above all, the confidence they make you feel when you fly.”

If you want to get inspired from a real airline pilot please follow Gustavo on Instagram: @gus_angeles
If you want to be succesful like him dont hesitate to contact us at: [email protected]
Also you can follow us on Instagram: @FlyingAcademy on Facebook: @FlyingAcademy and Youtube: @FlyingAcademy.