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.
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...
Witnessing the World’s Beauty Through Flight
After the lunar eclipse last month, many pilots posted stills and videos from the air that they had taken. This media received considerable attention...
How I Learn About Flying Outside the Cockpit
I recently took a new job as a flight instructor in central Florida. The company I work for, besides providing instruction, also provides FBO...
The Value of Reading NTSB Reports
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released their preliminary report on the door-plug failure on Alaska Airlines flight 1282. The report contained a...
The Importance of Adversity in Aviation Careers
Flying is necessarily a performance-based endeavor. Pilots must pass tests and regular recurrent training to remain legal to fly an aircraft no matter what...
