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The One Who Taught Me to Fly: Rookie Meets Rookie

Troy Techau, left, a newly minted CFI, and one of his first students, Victor Cabrales. Troy Techau
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Learning to fly is a transformative and life-altering experience that builds confidence and a sense of freedom, significantly impacted by the quality of the flight instructor.
  • Victor Cabrales, fulfilling a lifelong dream in his 40s, found a profound mentor in CFI Troy Techau, whose personalized instruction and shared passion created an instant connection and guided him through his flight training journey.
  • Their tandem progress highlights the unique bond between student and instructor, with Techau emphasizing the responsibility of instilling skills, knowledge, and judgment for safe flying, while Cabrales is inspired to one day become an instructor himself.
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Teaching someone to fly can be a life-altering experience on the same level as teaching someone to read, swim, or ride a bike. All these skills increase a person’s confidence and give them a sense of freedom.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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