By Jim Roberts
A few AirVentures ago, a friend introduced me to the concept of “MOO” — the Magic of Oshkosh. It’s the serendipitous and often quirky turn of events that brings a special light into your day. Monday morning it happened to me over breakfast, and it’s a story worth sharing.
As I was digging into the bacon and eggs, a pair of young men sat down, and soon we were sharing our aviation stories and backgrounds. Ethan Lowe, a student pilot, and his CFI, Alan Green, flew to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh from Fairview, Oklahoma, piloting a Bearhawk Patrol. For Ethan, it was a flight of passage; one that he will long remember.
Ethan is a 17-year-old high school student in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and got the flying bug while watching a B-2 video with his grandparents. Ethan recalled, “I instantly knew this was what I wanted to do with my life.” Working toward his goal of becoming an Air Force pilot, Ethan began flying lessons at 15. A first lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol cadet program, Ethan has his sights on the U.S. Air Force Academy, with a backup plan of joining the ROTC at Oklahoma State University.
Regarding his CFI, Ethan remarked, “Just a few months ago I met my friend Alan, and he’s been my instructor since and he’s been absolutely incredible. He explains things in a way that I can understand, and he’s just been a great friend to me.”
Recalling his flight from Oklahoma to AirVenture, Ethan said, “It was amazing seeing all of America like that. I remember landing at Oshkosh and seeing all the airplanes, and it was just breathtaking.” Of AirVenture itself, he said, “The people are just fantastic, and I can tell that everybody here is a student of the craft. Everybody is willing to learn from others, and that’s so inspiring.” Ethan’s favorite experience so far is seeing the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star during the daily air show. “That’s one of my favorite airplanes; I really love those early jets,” he said.
Ethan’s CFI, Alan, put an unusual twist on the practice of CFIs building time for an airline job. Alan became a CFI after landing a job with a major airline; how he got there, and what he’s learned are worth sharing.
He had his first airplane ride as a 3-year-old with his cousin who is also an airline pilot. His cousin became his flight instructor and mentor, and Alan earned his private certificate in six months while in high school. He worked his way through the ratings at various Part 61 flight schools, partly using funds from an oil field job. Alan said, “I always showed up with all the knowledge done. The FAA publishes the books on the internet, and they’re free. So I would be completely studied up on the ins and outs of what I was trying to do, and then it was just applying it.”
Alan also worked for a local FBO, and to build time for his first job flying pipeline patrol, he bought a 2008 Volksplane for $5,000. He figures his flying time worked out to $11 an hour for gas and maintenance. Alan said, “I attribute the job to the Volksplane. I flew that thing four hours to the interview, and they saw it and how I’d been maintaining it and offered me the job.” He flew pipeline patrol for two-and-a-half years and then went to a regional airline before being hired by a major airline in 2023.
As for his motivation to become a CFI, Alan said, “I know how much it meant to me to have my cousin teach me to fly, and I know how much that did for me and my future, so I wanted to be able to give back. There’s a need for good CFIs, and I really aspire to be one.”
Alan tells prospective students he’ll only be their CFI if he can see that they really want it. “Every time I fly with Ethan he shows up with more knowledge than the last time,” he said. “That’s inspiring, and I love to see that passion for aviation continue. If I can help facilitate that passion in any way, then that’s why I became a CFI after I became an airline pilot.”
Alan said he’s not the only one who feels that way. “Everyone in this aviation community will go out of their way to see that you’re successful if you want it bad enough,” he said. “If you’re someone out there that really wants it, do not feel discouraged or that anything stands in your way. I’ve always been told that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Go find your local airport and be the squeaky wheel, because we want more squeaky wheels.”