John McDermott
John McDermott’s passion for aviation began in a Michigan bookstore when he found a story about a chance encounter between enemy pilots during World War II. Soon, after watching countless hours of fighter jets and traffic from his home near O’Hare International Airport, he was hooked forever. These days, John is a student pilot from Chicago pursuing a career in professional aviation. He works with Professional Pilots of Tomorrow’s Digital Media Team and has experience as an airline ramper and customer service agent. Though he is also pursuing a Religious Studies degree at Northwestern University, he does not plan to become a missionary pilot. Instead, he dreams of far-off destinations with warm beaches and fun adventures. With years of experience writing and editing for aviation news websites, John is ready to take the next step towards pursuing his life-long career goal of becoming flight crew.
Processing and Teaching Tragedy
I, like many, was devastated by the loss of Bluestreak 5342 at the end of January. I was seven-years old the last time the...
What I’m Learning from Teaching Flight Instructors
I recently started my first course of training with a new Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) applicant and have been reminded of all there is...
Looking Into a New Year
Welcome to 2025! The new year is an exciting time, especially for pilots. There are a lot of places that your pilot career can...
The Power of Community in Aviation
Over the years, I have come to greatly appreciate the power of my communities. Aviation is a great example of that and is a...
Aviation as a Force for Good
Soon after Hurricane Helene rolled through the Florida panhandle, Georgia, and the Carolinas, I was relieved to see pilots along the east coast rush...
The Hardest Easy Decision
When I started teaching professionally, a senior instructor at my company told me quite frankly, that my job was not just to teach; I...
Why I Take My Students into Busy Airports
The airports where I started my flight training and began my flight-instructor career are distinct. When I began, I started training at Chicago Executive...
Exploring Aviation Through Media
Among the first ways I got into aviation was by writing articles for an online aviation news website. I vividly remember using my free...
The Importance of Passion for Aviation
So far, in my few months of instructing, I have encountered a wide range of students. Some are only around for a short time;...
The Art of Saying Yes
Building experience towards an airline, corporate, or private pilot job takes a lot of work. It takes work to complete your training, to search...
