Bridgeport High School graduate John "Max" Dodrill will tell you that his post-secondary education has not been a straight route. But he is sure glad of the direction he ultimately took. While pursuing a  bachelor’s degree in aviation/business management at Fairmont State University, he has obtained his private pilot license.

 

Dodrill said he loves taking to the skies.

 

“To me, it’s like driving a car in the air. Once you’re up there and know what you’re doing, it’s almost second nature,” he said.

 

Upon completing his degree, Dodrill hopes to become employed as an instructor through the FSU aviation program, taught right here in Bridgeport at the Robert C. Byrd National Aerospace Center.

 

By following that path, he sees a bright future. Tyler Lucas and Greg Lloyd – both graduates of the program who worked briefly as instructors – are both now flying Learjets, the fastest jets on the commercial market.

 

“Hopefully I’ll work for a private charter company for a while, but my goal is obviously big airplanes. That’s where the big money is – flying for a company like United or American Airlines,” Dodrill said.

 

Dodrill is currently the only BHS graduate taking part in the flight side of the FSU aviation program, which is currently at its capacity.

 

“We have students from all over West Virginia and from across the United States,” said Joel Kirk, director, Aviation Center of Excellence at FSU. “We even have a student right now from California.”

 

The program encompasses a two-degree tract program, combining an aviation major or minor with business administration, maintenance management or aviation management.

 

“If they are totally focused on aviation, they can get a pilot license along the way,” Kirk said.

 

The only Federal Aviation-regulated Part141 flight training program in the state of West Virginia, the FSU aviation program presently accommodates 40 flight students and 80 non-flight students.

 

“We can have 10 flight students per aircraft,” Kirk said. “We have five planes, but because each needs inspected every 100 hours, one is always in maintenance.”

 

Due to high demand, there is now an interview process involved with the flight side.

 

“Once you secure a seat in the flight program, you’re doing it for two to three years, so spots don’t come open that often,” Kirk said.

 

“The minimum hours to obtain a private pilot license is 35 hours, but very few reach the proficiency at 35 hours,” Kirk said. “The average nationwide is 50-55 hours.”

 

Fifteen to 20 hours into the program, Dodrill took his first solo flight.

 

“The first couple flights, I was extremely nervous up there. I was shaking,” he said. “But after three or four flights, it really all clicked.”

 

Even before that experience, Dodrill knew he had landed an ideal program and future career choice. He had already looked for it in other places.

 

“I first went to West Virginia University and I didn’t do very well first semester. I was in pre-med and didn’t really like it,” he said. “Then, I went to work for an insurance company and really didn’t like what I was doing. I was in a pretty low place.”

 

Dodrill moved in with a friend who's neighbor told him about the aviation program he was in at FSU.

 

“He showed me a video and I thought that was really cool – that I would love to do something like that,” he said. “I wanted to try it out as like a last resort, but I fell in love with it pretty quickly.”

 

It’s not an easy program, Kirk said.

 

“Some of the students hit a slump, but that’s aviation. It’s up and down and when you’re working through those low times – going through things you don’t understand or you fail a check ride – you don’t go home and cry about it. You come back even tougher and do what you have to do,” he said.

 

And that’s what Dodrill did. He toughed out a difficult program and ultimately excelled. He credits the great instructors involved in the program.

 

“They’re really smart and know how to get you in the right mindset to fly a plane,” he said.

 

Though he’s confident, Dodrill said he still gets nervous in the cockpit.

 

“You should be nervous every time you take off. There are a lot of things to think about like where to land or how to fix the aircraft if something goes wrong,” he said. “But after a while, it’s just doing what you know how to do.”

 

After earning his private pilot license, Dodrill continues the business administration side of his degree. He also accumulates flight hours to pass his instrument and commercial training, needed to graduate the program.

 

“He wants to be an instrument pilot and he’s headed that direction - commercial aviation,” Kirk said.

 

Kirk is glad that Dodrill - who recently gained the call name "Tigger" - took a gamble and gave the program a try. It’s not unusual for a college student to change his mind.

 

“The majority of kids don’t have any direction or know what they want to do. They throw a line in the water and hope something comes out,” he said. “But the beautiful thing about this program is you know where you’re going from start to finish. You know what you’ll be paid at the end and you know you’ll have a job if you apply yourself. It’s not for everyone. Some kids get in there and don’t have what it takes, but those who do have that propensity become very successful.”

 

Dodrill has learned not to place all his eggs in one basket and to keep his options open. He encourages other young people to do the same and if flight school seems a good fit, try it on for size.

 

“I mean, this is one of the most fun fields you can come across. And the aviation community is a close-knit one. Everyone helps each other and there’s no back stabbing,” he said. “And it’s a field that is really moving as there’s a shortage of pilots.”

 

This is an unprecedented opportunity for potential pilots, Kirk said.

 

“For kids who want to fly, there’s never been an opportunity like this in the history of aviation – and once this 20-year cycle is over – there never will be again.”

 

Editor's Note: Pictured from top is John "Max" Dodrill; Dodrill with Donald Judy, pilot examiner and member of the West Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame; Joel Kirk, director, Aviation Center of Excellence at FSU. Dodrill lives in Bridgeport with his parents Jim and Jennifer Dodrill and siblings Joseph and Jaryn.