JTP Alumni
Thomas Witte
Background Before JTP
My background in aviation is that I come from a flying family in
Alaska. I started flying at 15, soloed on my 16th birthday, and got my private pilot license shortly
after my 17th birthday. Then I went to college and sidelined flying to play D1 football at Nevada.
During my last year of football, I got my instrument rating and also my commercial pilot license.
Anthony Tisdale was my DPE for both. This is when I first heard of JTP.
After that, I went to Jasper, Alabama, to Sanders Flight School, where I got my multi commercial
done. Then I showed up to JTP a month later and got a CE-525S type rating. Almost a week
later, I picked up my first flying job: right seat in a CJ2. After flying the CJ for a month, I went
back down to Alabama and became a CFI/CFII/ME
Certificates, Ratings & Hours at Training
I had my instrument rating, single-engine seaplane
rating, commercial, and multi commercial, and roughly 500 hours.
How I Landed My Job
The way I landed my first job was networking, meeting people, and
connecting with them. By doing this, after I got my type rating, I could reach out to people I had
met for a job.
What I'm Doing Now
I am still currently flying the CJ2. I also provide flight instruction in
Anchorage, Alaska, where I also operate a flight simulator training facility, the Lake Hood Sim
Center.
Course & Highlights
I did the CE-525S single-pilot PIC class. What I liked most about JTP was
that you got to learn about the airplane in class, then go out and see and fly the actual airplane
yourself. This made the transition from training to the job very easy, and you knew what the
airplane was supposed to look and feel like.
How JTP Impacted My Career
I think JTP significantly improved my pilot career. It brought me
to the next step in how to be a professional in the cockpit and for the owners. Also, when you
tell people that you type rated in the jet, especially single pilot, and then they learn you actually
did the training and the checkride in the plane itself, it shows your employer that you truly know
what you're doing in the airplane
Adam Atkins
Background Before JTP
Before JTP, I was trying to find a job as a CFI/CFII and was not
having any luck, and I got the opportunity to go with a good friend of mine
Certificates, Ratings & Hours at Training
II had my CFI/CFII and commercial multi, with
around 500 hours total time
How I Landed My Job
I continued to time build and apply to jobs while instructing, and I
eventually got a call back.
What I'm Doing Now
Right now, I am PIC typed on the CJ4 and flying as a Part 91 PIC and
Part 135 SIC for Davinci Jets out of Charlotte, NC.
Course & Highlights
I took the Jet Transition Course with JTP, and for my first time flying a jet,
it was amazing to actually have the opportunity to fly the actual aircraft as opposed to a
simulator
How JTP Impacted My Career
Having the SIC type with JTP and having actual turbine time put
my resume above others. When I had the required total time, it put me a step above other
candidates with more overall time. The quality of time really helped.
Logan Moore
Background Before JTP
Before I attended JTP, I was working at an FBO at my hometown
airport. I was a new CFI with a commercial multi-engine rating, looking for students and ways to
make myself stand out in a saturated pilot market.
Certificates, Ratings & Hours at Training
When I attended JTP, I held a commercial
multi-engine pilot rating as well as a CFI rating. I had roughly 400 hours at that time.
How I Landed My Job
After the course, I continued to network at my hometown airport. I got a
job flying right seat in a CJ2+ for a Part 91 operation and eventually expanded to several other
operations flying Citations.
What I'm Doing Now
w Currently, I am a pilot at a Part 135 charter company flying single-engine
turboprop aircraft. I do Citation contract work on the side. I am also a ground instructor at JTP.
Course & Highlights
I took the SIC Jet Transition Course. The highlight for me was being able
to get hands-on training with the jet. Being able to be hands-on with the jet and get actual
training flying the aircraft was incredibly valuable.
How JTP Impacted My Career
JTP was the course that jump-started my professional pilot
career. Not only did getting a type rating help me stand out from other pilot applicants, but it also
taught me fundamental professional pilot skills that have made me stand out to employers.
Carson Graf
Background Before JTP
Before JTP, I started off my flying career like most other pilots. I
trained at a small mom-and-pop flight school in Central Valley, California, before eventually
getting my CFI certs and teaching throughout the state. I met "Judge" bringing students to him
for checkrides
Certificates, Ratings & Hours at Training
Commercial ASEL/AMEL, Instrument Airplane,
CFI/CFII/MEI, and just over 1,630 hours total time.
How I Landed My Job
After the course, having a single-pilot jet type made me very marketable,
and I quickly received multiple offers to fly Citations for both Part 91 and Part 135 operations.
However, in the end I took a position at a regional airline on the East Coast.
What I'm Doing Now
w I am a first officer for Republic Airways, based in Columbus, Ohio.
Course & Highlights
I took the CE-525S (single-pilot PIC type) course with JTP. The biggest
highlight was obviously the personally tailored experience JTP can provide. Cody and Anthony
ran a fantastic course that taught to individual experiences. Combined with actual flight time in
the Citation, the experience was unmatched, even compared to my recent airline training.
How JTP Impacted My Career
Finishing the course with JTP was ultimately the reason I was
hired at Republic. Hiring had been in a downturn for several years, and having a relevant PIC jet
type and real-world experience in the left seat set me apart from other applicants in the
saturated regional hiring market. It also provided me with skills that allowed me to easily get
through the three-month airline training course..
Craig VanderZwaag
Background Before JTP
I live in California. I am entering aviation professionally after a 30-year
career in the fire service. Once I decided I wanted to be a professional pilot, I dedicated my time
to continuous training, ratings, time-building, and professional development.
Certificates, Ratings & Hours at Training
I had about 700 hours: PPL, CPL, CMEL, IR.
How I Landed My Job
Continued professional development and networking. Keeping in
contact with fellow students, instructors, pilots, and mentors. I had trained with the operator I
work for now and kept in contact with them over the years. Also, be nice.
What I'm Doing Now
I am an SIC on the King Air 350i, flying Part 91/135 out of Southern
California.
Course & Highlights
I took the two-day CE-525 SIC course. I signed up not necessarily
because I was hoping to find my way immediately to the right seat of a Citation, but because I
wanted exposure to the jet world. I wanted training in higher-performance turbine aircraft. I
wanted training in crew resource management and flight-deck pilot communications. I also
wanted to be able to demonstrate my continued desire to learn and grow as a pilot. Being able
to do all of this and fly the actual jet was an absolute highlight. Cody, Judge, and their team
were great.
How JTP Impacted My Career
It made me realize there is another level of training,
professionalism, competency, and effort required to fly professionally. The more exposure you
have to that next level, the better prepared you will be when the call comes. My experience with
JTP was a talking point that led to a broader conversation about commitment, growth, and
preparedness, and it certainly helped me understand the rigor required to get through a full type
rating