I have interviewed a man that has so much experience in flying. Mr. Mike Folkerts is a pilot at the Colorado Springs Air Force Academy. I have talked to him and he said he enjoyed flying so much he can’t get away from it. But his journey on becoming a pilot was not easy. He had to go through so much training in order to get where he is now.
When he started his passion in aviation, he was part of a flight when he was six. That was his very first flight in his life. He didn’t fly again until he was 18 years-old at the AFA in Colorado. He started training when he was 21 in Arizona. He flew a couple of trainer planes such as the T-37 and T-38. They are jet looking aircraft with two pilot seats. He also flew a huge cargo aircraft named the C-130. These aircrafts are huge cargo planes for the Air Force, Military, Navy, or Army. Mr. Folkerts has also flown a C-21, T-1, and a UV-18. He has trained people in the UV-18.
Another question I had ask was, “If you didn’t want to become a pilot, what other occupation would you have done?” He answers an engineer done in the Air Force Academy.
I had asked him where he had flown and he answers, “I usually fly at the AFA, Arizona, Little Rock, Pope, Barks Dale, Vance AFB, and Kirkland AFB. I also have flown around the world in a C-130. Mainly in Africa, Europe, Canada, Central and South America.
“What inspired you to become a pilot?” He answered, “The Air Force Academy did, the great flight instructors at the Air Force Academy, the AFB visits, the orientation flights, and the parachute team I was with. I flew with lots of other planes with the parachute team.”
“Do you train anyone? How often?”
“About everyday. I train people half the time I fly so I get some flying time in and the student learns from me.”
I have learned a lot from Mr. Folkerts. Since this interview has gone pretty well, I am looking forward interviewing other people, too!
C-130 Cargo Plane Landing
