Student and Teacher Share Lifelong Love of Aviation

Meg Godlewski

Friday, December 31, 2021 at 10:42 AM ET

Verified

Gerald (Jerry) Griggs, left, alongside his longtime instructor and friend, Jim Schoerger. [Courtesy: Jerry Griggs]

Key Takeaways:

Flight instructor Jim Schoerger significantly impacted Gerald Griggs' aviation journey, teaching him to fly and instilling confidence, notably during his first solo flight in 1967.
Schoerger's distinctive teaching methods, including reassuring advice, helped Griggs overcome fears, a technique Griggs later adopted as a flight instructor and designated pilot examiner.
Griggs and Schoerger maintained a lifelong bond, celebrating the 40th and 50th anniversaries of Griggs' first solo by reenacting the memorable event together.
Their enduring relationship exemplifies the "aviation chain," where an instructor's positive influence creates a lasting legacy through their students and subsequent generations of pilots.

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One of the best parts of being a flight instructor is that it gives you the opportunity to have a positive impact on someone’s life. Just as we tend to remember our favorite teachers from school, most pilots can remember their favorite flight instructors. One such example is Gerald (Jerry) Griggs, from Wichita, Kansas, who vividly recalls his first solo in 1967 and Jim Schoerger, the CFI who made it possible.

The pair met at Pearland Airport, a now defunct general aviation field that was located just west of Ellington Air Force Base.