By ANN Senior Contributing Correspondent Kevin "Hognose" O'Brien

Well, we can rag on Mayor Daley, beat the world on space-travel stories, and insult the TSA practically daily. And what do our readers write about? Our story about a milestone at Embry-Riddle's CAPT ab-initio program. Some of you do NOT like Embry-Riddle, or its graduates. We'll get to that, but first, let's look at recent graduate Chuck Allen and his class.

I've been in email contact with Chuck himself, and email and phone contact with one of his instructors. Chuck generously agreed to an interview-by-email.

First, Chuck is only important, as it were, as a representative of the program. Since I wrote the original story, the instructor tells me, his class have also been typed in the MD-90 sim, one after the other. At nine o'clock Florida time this morning, only one remained, and he is scheduled for the ride soon.

Second, as mentioned above, there are some non-fans of ERAU, CAPT, and ab-initio programs in general out there. Can we agree on a few simple points?

1. We at Aero-News are in favor of any program which spreads the good word and gets people flying. More on this anon.
2. The quality of an individual pilot is more dependent on the individual than it is on the school.

With those two opinions of ours out of the way, let's see what Chuck Allen thinks of his flight school experience.

Chuck Allen Speaks

After dropping Chuck a congratulatory email, I got the following note from him:

I'd love to say a few wonderful words about the CAPT program. I really feel as though the group of people that ERAU has assembled for this program is truly second to none. I was told when I first came to the program that the year that I would spend working towards graduation would probably be the toughest of my life. Boy, were they right. 

What I now know after finishing the program, is that it has also been the most rewarding. I feel so lucky to have been trained by the "Professionals" who work for this program. The individuals who work for this program truly care about the success of each cadet, and If it weren't for their hard work, I never would have succeeded. I would encourage anyone who is considering a career in aviation to make the CAPT program their top consideration. The use of their brand new fleet of aircraft, state of the art aircraft simulators, and airline immersion training makes this program the training standard of the future. 

I could not have been happier with my experience, and my guess is that anyone accepted into the program will be as well. ... I'd like to do anything I can to get the word out about how great this program truly is.

Well, this just made me want to know more about Chuck's experience with CAPT, so I sent him a bunch of nosy questions, and asked an instructor what kind of guy Chuck was. "He's a great big fella, something like 6'5" tall, and just a kind of a cheerful powerhouse of a guy," my contact said. So -- with that in mind, here are my questions and Chuck's answers.

Aero-Newsmaker Interview: Chuck Allen

Aero-News: What are your plans now? (I guess, interview and fly... duh. But anything you want to say...).

Chuck Allen: Like you said, interview and fly. I would also like to pursue some additional ratings (i.e. CFI) that I could use to continue flying GA throughout my career. 

Aero-News: What made you decide you wanted to change careers and fly? Have you always wanted to fly?  

Chuck Allen: I have always wanted to be a pilot. My original career path was to fly in the Navy after graduating from college, but a small medical problem closed that door for me. After graduation I took a management job with a national distribution company, but it was clear from day one that my passion lie in aviation. Within a year of my college graduation I had selected a flight school and was eagerly waiting to start.

Aero-News: What is your career ambition or dream? Any particular airplane you want to fly, or dream assignment?  

Chuck Allen: I would eventually like to fly for an organization that flies some overseas routes. It has always been a dream of mine to see the world, and this the perfect career for that. I can't imagine anything better than combining my love of flying with my curiosity of seeing the world.

Aero-News: Is there any historical aircraft you would like to fly?

Chuck Allen: I can't think of a historical aircraft that I've been dying to fly, but I do think that it would be pretty neat to break the sound barrier (on purpose of course).

Aero-News: Do you plan to fly recreationally, or is this basically a professional gig for you? 

Chuck Allen: I would like to instruct in my spare time, and continue to fly GA. Owning my own plane probably won't be financially possible for many years, (I see many years of student loan payments in my immediate future) but I would definitely love to be an aircraft owner one day. 

Aero-News: Big one -- what made you choose CAPT? It was new -- do you feel like a classical "early adopter?" 

Chuck Allen: I chose the CAPT program because it was 'new' and they were taking a totally different approach to training low time pilots than other flight schools. When you talked to the program's administrators, you could tell that they knew something that others didn't. They were taking the very best candidates from around the country and training them to a higher standard. It was something that I wanted to be in on the ground floor of.

Aero-News: CAPT is not a cheap program. Were you concerned over the expense, and how did you justify it?  

Chuck Allen: I really didn't know any better. I shopped the program around and even though it was more expensive than other programs, it appeared to suit my career goals better than other programs. Also there weren't any hidden costs with the CAPT program. Other schools with show a minimum price, but if there is any delay or problem in training the price starts creeping up very quickly. Finally I showed the program to a few professional pilots that I knew, and they told me that you can put a price on ratings, but not on great training. If its was I wanted then I should go for it.

Aero-News: Let's close with a softball that hangs over the plate: What is YOUR advice for someone who is where you were in early 03... someone who is thinking about learning to fly but that has taken no steps towards it? 

Chuck Allen: There are many ways to go about learning to fly. For me the best method was to totally immerse myself in training that would eventually lead me to a career in the airlines. For others, that drastic of a life change isn't possible. Maybe they need to go at a slower pace to make time for work, college, etc. Either way the only way to start flying, is to start flying. I would encourage anyone that is considering flight training to drive down to their local airport and take a discovery flight. You won't belive what you've been missing. 

FMI: www.erau.edu