Flight Instructor Stories: John Urling

Looking for a change in your day-to-day? Talk to John! He left the corporate world to pursue a new career. The change was intimidating at first, but following his passion has brought him a whole new world of experiences.

John’s aviation journey began when he was eight years old. Sitting in the back seat of a Cessna 172 while his father was earning his private pilot’s license ignited a passion for aviation. Throughout the years, his passion for flying was only rivaled by that of music.

With a full tuition performance grant for tuba from West Virginia University, John chose music and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education.

John has been a professional musician with the River City Brass for 25 years and an operations manager with a Pittsburgh law firm since 1994. While aviation was initially a hobby, opportunities in the aviation industry prompted a career change for him to pursue full-time as a second career.

John enrolled in a fast track program, earning his instrument, commercial and flight instructor ratings. He is excited to embark on this new aviation journey.
If you’re considering a major career change, ask John about his experiences. He (along with all of our staff) would be happy to help you evaluate your goals to see if this is the right choice for you!