Airplane Mechanic gets his Pilots License

Aloha! I’m Chris Hnat and currently a student pilot at Fly Maui. I have been an A&P mechanic for 16 years and have been living in Hawaii for 2 1/2 years working and island hopping across the state fixing everything from private jets, airliners, and local GA aircraft- including Fly Maui’s planes!! While fixing aircraft has been my entire life, I’ve always wanted to be able to fly them too. Over the years I’ve had several lessons across the US, but it wasn’t until recently I could buckle up and complete what I started.

Out of the several instructors I’ve had, none have been better than the instructors here. Kyler has been my primary instructor and has been fantastic for going through everything methodically and finding my strengths and weaknesses behind the yoke. After just a week with Kyler I finally achieved the milestone I’ve been chasing for 17 1/2 years since my first lesson was put in my logbook… Solo!

And I can’t forget just how much fun it is! While back on the mainland I would have to practice maneuvers like turn around a point and do it over something boring like a barn, water tower, or a Walmart… out here in Maui it so much more fun practicing turns around a whale, or S turns along a beach. Or practicing stalls along the Hana coastline with the beautiful jungles, cliffs, waterfalls, and canyons sloping up to the peak Haleakala towering above the ocean. Or landing at Kalaupapa next to the tallest sea cliffs in the world. 

While I still have a few weeks before I finish, I feel that Kyler, Brian, and the other instructors have done a great job preparing me to face the most stressful day in every pilot’s life- checkride. I don’t feel any nervousness, but rather excitement… and that alone should say how well they have done!