James Heath: Pilot Turned ATC

Pilot to Pilot podcast ep 022 ft James Heath: Pilot turned ATC.

What is going on Avination, Welcome back to the Pilot to Pilot podcast, today I am talking with aviation journeyman James Heath. James is a former CFI, airline ground handler, 2x regional pilot and current air traffic controller. In today's episode we talk about.

• How a movie led him to aviation.
• How the book Contact led him down the path to find ET.
• How a young Eagle flight with the EAA at age 9 was one of the coolest and most terrifying things he has done.
• James was making more money playing more money playing online poker than his part-time jobs.
• How his mom saying no to dropping out of college for online poker led him to take aviation classes.
• James was hooked from his first flight at Illinois.
• Changed his major 2 years into college.
• Which in turn gave him put him on the 6-year plan.
• James’s mom made him call her before and after every flight.
• How James graduated in one of the worst times in aviation.
• Why he chose to become a flight instructor in Arizona over Illinois.
• What it was like teaching all foreign students.
• What made James think about becoming an Air Traffic Controller.
• What really sold him on ATC.
• Applied in ATC July 2009 (terrible time to apply for ATC).
• Why he left being a CFI and became a ground handler.
• How to he ended up flying caravans for the company he was a ground handler for.
• We talk about what it is like flying a Caravan into the busiest airports in the US.
• Why he chose the to fly for the regionals.
• How he chose between the different regionals at the time.
• What it was like flying at the regionals.
• How he ended up switching regionals.
• How the plans you make rarely work out in this industry.
• Why it is important to have a backup plan.
• When he finally got the call from ATC.
• How ATC hires.
• Why James decided to walk away from flying to become a controller.
• We talk In detail about what the process is to become an ATC.
• How the training to become an Air Traffic Controller is a very long process.
• It took him 25 months to become fully certified.
• A time where Washington Center told me I shouldn’t be flying tonight.
• Why he likes working low sectors.

Avination, thank you for listening to today's episode. If you enjoyed it, please let me know! Email me at pilottopilothq@gmail.com or reach out on Instagram @pilottopilot. Happy Flying, Justin Don't forget about our Patreon giveaway to find out more information click the link below!