John Chilstrom - Instructor Pilot IFR Flight Training School™

John Chilstrom
IFR Flight Training School^TM

John Chilstrom - Instructor Pilot IFR Flight Training School

John comes from an aviation family, son of a test pilot. He soloed on his sixteenth birthday, received his Private Pilot Certificate at seventeen and earned an undergraduate degree in aeronautical technology. After college he completed Air Force pilot training and began a thirty-year military career. As an Air Force officer he held duties as an aircraft commander, instructor pilot and flight examiner and was qualified in the B-52D, B-52H, FB-111A and B-1B, accumulating 4,500 flying hours. John trained bomber flight crews and instructor pilots in multiple aircraft, commanded a B-1B flying squadron and held a variety of senior positions ranging from duty at the Pentagon and teaching at the university level to managing Air Force continuing education courses.

John retired from Air Force active duty in 2007 and joined IFR Flight Training School as a ground instructor.

Date and place began flying:	1970, Wings Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CFI Since:	----
Certificates and ratings:	COM, Multi, Instrument, AGI, IGI
Types of Aircraft Flown:	C150, C172, C182, T-37, T-38, B-52D, B-52H, FB-111A, B-1B
Most memorable flight - that you are willing to admit to..!:	Solo on the morning of my 16th birthday
Favorite airport:	Andersen AFB, Guam
Favorite Airplane:	“The last one I’ve flown…” but over time, the FB-111
Favorite flying flick:	“Chain Lightning” with Humphrey Bogart (1950) and Twelve O’clock High with Gregory Peck (1949)
Best advice to an aspiring young aviator:	With credit to Wilbur Wright (1902), "What chiefly is needed is skill rather than machinery." And, as was emphasized to me (in a more recent era), if the going gets rough in the cockpit, always remember..."Fly the Airplane!"
Aviation motto:	"You gotta be tough to fly the heavies!"