Flight instructor helps others take wing
Next generation of pilots takes off
For a wanna-be pilot, the first solo flight is a milestone: Taking off, flying, and then a safe landing. It’s a feeling of freedom and exhilaration like none other. For Scott Pace, this moment was a decade or so ago, but he’ll never forget it. “It’s a special sense of accomplishment; you’re completely in charge of the plane.” And for this former software developer, it was also the first step toward deciding to quit his tech job and become a full-time flight instructor, a less lucrative livelihood but much more satisfying to him. Today Pace is one of 20 instructors at East Coast Aero Club, Inc., based out of Hanscom Field in Bedford, a busy regional airport. Pace spoke with Globe correspondent Cindy Atoji Keene about why he’s devoted to teaching the next generation of pilots.
“Learning to fly at Hanscom Field is a little different than a smaller, quiet airport. With a lot of business jets and two flight schools, there’s a lot of traffic. The upside of that is students become more comfortable with radio calls and congestion; the downside is that it might take longer till instructors think that students are safe. Hanscom is big enough to handle 737s; there are two runways available to East Coast Aero Club students, both which are quite large for training purposes. As a flight instructor, I make sure I don’t overwhelm students with too much information at once. Flying isn’t like driving – it’s moving through three dimensions instead of two, which is a completely new sensation. To teach flying is another level of understanding for a pilot like me. I love it when I see the lightbulb go off inside a student’s head. Maybe it’s a new maneuver they’ve been struggling with or something like practice stalls. When I was a student, my nemesis was steep turns: the airplane needs to hold altitude and complete the turn, pitch the nose up or down, and add power to control speed. But then comes the day when it all pulls together. And there’s always more to learn, even after earning a private pilot’s license, or instrument, commercial or multi. My favorite plane to teach in is a Piper Arrow, because it’s a complex aircraft with retractable gear, and handling it is more of a challenge. If I find that flying is getting dull, I look for ways to keep it fresh. I’m thinking about taking up gliders now because it looks like a lot of fun. It’s a new undertaking to ascend to.”
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