Andrew Pitman is a true example of resilience. The Central Florida Aerospace Academy alumnus and past James C. Ray Flight Training scholarship recipient is a true testament of sticking to your passion, even when the initial plan doesn’t come to fruition. Andrew dreamed of becoming a US Air Force Pilot since he was a kid; he had always had a passion for aviation. He received the flight training scholarship in 2016 when he was in 10th grade. Shortly after, he had a life-altering diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The diagnosis had come after Andrew had had a seizure at the age of 14-years old, two years prior.
The diagnosis of MS prevented Andrew from receiving a Class III Medical Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, thus presenting complications for his goals of becoming a military pilot. Andrew was not going to give up though. During our candid conversation, he recalled his time in the hospital and his thoughts on a future in aviation; he shared, “Whenever I had the seizure, I was told I wouldn’t work in aviation again. That I wouldn’t walk, see, or be able to do anything normal again. I was told I was going to be in the hospital for 3 months. 1 week later I walked out of the hospital out of sheer will power. Soon after, I took a flight with a friend and I continued where I left off. I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for God. There’s been a lot of adversity, but aviation is my passion. It’s my passion, my hobby, my job, it’s what I love. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else besides aviation, so I wasn’t going to give up.”
After his diagnosis, Andrew began to look into Light Sport training, as he qualified under Basic Med. He began flying at a Light Sport flight school in Central Florida after a year break from flying, still utilizing the James C. Ray Scholarship funds. He was signed off to solo and completed it on March 5, 2018. He continued his flight training until his flight school shut down operations. Andrew was only one week away from his Checkride to become a Light Sport Pilot.
Due to the lack of flight schools that specialized in Light Sport training in the area at the time, he couldn’t continue his flight training. To maintain his pursuit of a career in aviation, Andrew took courses at CFAA related to Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) work. He began to enjoy the idea of fixing aircraft and decided to pursue becoming an Aircraft Mechanic as a career. Andrew reflects, “Becoming an A&P was plan C. Plan A was to go into the Air Force to become a pilot. Plan B was an airline pilot. Once I realized both of those plans were not going to work I always knew, through fixing things with my dad at his automotive shop growing up, that I loved it. I always wanted to continue in aviation. Even though I wasn’t able to become a pilot, aviation is still my passion and being able to combine two things that I really liked.”
For the past 2 ½ years, Andrew has worked for Double M Aviation at Lakeland International Airport as an A&P Technician. He has worked on a variety of General Aviation aircraft; however, his favorite aspect of the job includes working as a crew chief for a privately-owned MiG-17 out of Vero Beach Airport. Whenever the MiG-17 travels to various airshows, Andrew travels alongside the aircraft, assisting with all the heavy maintenance. Andrew is grateful and has been very happy at Double M Aviation. While his long-term goals include working in corporate or airline maintenance, he is currently enjoying building professional work experience.
Andrew’s advice to current and future James C. Ray Scholarship recipients is quite simple: “The biggest thing for me is don’t give up.” Through his adversity in life, Andrew has proven he never gave up on pursuing his passion for aviation. He found a way to adapt his goals while still maintaining his passion for aviation.
Your support of the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo helps support our mission to engage, educate, and accelerate the next generation of Aerospace Professionals such as Andrew!
