John McCaskill, a Central Florida Aerospace Academy alumnus, was a James C. Ray Flight Training Scholarship recipient. Since graduating from CFAA, John has been building his aviation career. Recently, John reached the 1500-hour mark in his time-building process. This is a significant milestone for many pilots in training and time-building phases because this set number of hours is the minimum requirement to become an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). John reached 1500 hours at only 20 years old. Astonishing!

John started his flight training in 2020 and later received his Private Pilot’s License at 17 in 2021. At 18, he earned his Instrument Rating, Commercial License, and Multi-Engine Rating. At 19, he became a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and began training aspiring pilots at Bartow Flying Service at Bartow Airport. In the process of his time-building, John was able to expand his flying prowess outside of training other prospective pilots. His flying highlights include taking up family and friends on flights. One of his favorite activities includes flying to Vero Beach with his family and friends to grab something to eat, followed by horseback riding through the Sebastian State trails.

While these flying adventures are fun, many pilots look at time-building as a tedious process. We asked John to give some advice to those who may be discouraged about the number of hours they still need for their ATP; he responded, “My advice to those currently in the time-building process is to not emphasize where you need or want to be, but to be appreciative of where you are because you are putting in the time and hard work. There are people in the world who may never get the chance to become pilots and having an open mind to time-building is what will get you through this phase. It does get tough when you start comparing yourself to where others are in their career but that does not help you. Comparison is the thief of joy and that is what I would constantly tell myself as well as my students or anyone in the process.”

So, what’s next for John? His is currently weighing his professional options: flying for an airline or a private charter company. He plans to finish his final two years of college while obtaining a flying job by the end of this year. In the meantime, John has been a huge supporter of the SUN ‘n FUN Aerospace Expo and the Aerospace Center for Excellence (ACE) through his various volunteer roles. This past summer, he flew some of the summer campers in Destination Aviation Summer Camp hosted by ACE. He describes his experience: “The summer camps were a blast this year and I am excited for many more!! It was fun to go for take-off and see the smiles on those kids’ faces go ear to ear. It reminded me of my discovery flight where I was nervous and anxious but once up in the air, I did not want to come down! I really look forward to doing more summer camp flights and getting a chance to introduce more kids to aviation.”

John has been a transformative force for the aviation community. His ability to stay consistent and determined in his flight training and time-building has demonstrated his love and resilience for flying. We wish him the best of luck in his future career as an airline or private charter pilot. John shared his perspective about pushing through challenges; he offers, “Flying is not always going to be sunshine and rainbows. There will be highs and lows, but the most important part is to remain consistent and to remember why you started training in the first place. Many times, I found myself disheartened in my training but what kept me going was the people around me and my dream of becoming a professional pilot.”