Pilot Finds His Way to Unexpected Classroom

Decades of aviator experience began not in a sim, but with a book, a mentor, and a high school job.

Les Abend

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

One of the author’s weathered ID badges from American Airlines. [Credit: Les Abend]

Key Takeaways:

The author argues that pilot training begins long before formal airline employment, stemming from early self-study, personal passion, and informal lessons.
His journey involved a diverse array of learning experiences, from foundational handbooks and university programs to on-the-job training and creative methods like "chair flying."
The path to becoming an airline pilot encompasses a spectrum of training structures, from ad hoc early lessons to highly sophisticated company programs, alongside adapting to professional cultures.

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When us airline types are asked, “when and where did you first begin training?” we usually respond with day one of company basic indoctrination at our respective training centers. But in retrospect we forget that training began much before our airline employment, with many of us experiencing the gamut from casual to highly structured.

For me, training began with the Private Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, at age 15, which was about the time I committed to becoming an airline pilot, specifically for American Airlines. Lacking any firm strategy on just how to finance my budding addiction, I determined it was best to start reading the handbook from cover to cover despite minimal comprehension.