Imperial Valley Flight Training

Meet IVFT student Camilo Garcia. Camilo recently passed his private pilot checkride with Designated Pilot
Examiner (DPE) Kenneth Shepherd
on February 13, 2024

When I asked Camilo what inspired him to become a flight student He said, “Living in the Imperial Valley and having a diverse environment from military, to general aviation seeing all of these planes since I was a little kid wanted to be a pilot. I give credit to the Navy Blue Angels for really inspiring me to become a pilot as I’ve been watching them here for the past 21 years.”

When asked what his favorite airman certification standards (ACS) flight maneuver was he said, “Steep turns. It really shows us how capable these planes are, even in a bank angle of 45 degrees.”

When asked what was the most challenging part of training he said, “Battling the Imperial Valley heat, especially on long flights where the heat and thermals would cause turbulence on and off during flights.”

When asked how he felt about the instructors at IVFT he said, “All the instructors have been amazing teachers, as well as mentors, and friends. From Wally a former Gulfstream charter pilot to Mathew who has recently left us to pursue a career as an airline pilot, everyone at IVFT has pushed me reach my goals!”

Camilo’s future plans include finishing training for his Instrument and commercial ratings and hopefully becoming a pilot for Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations in the future. Camilo is Currently finishing his Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) requirements and preparing for his check ride. He is also time building taking many cross country flights around Southern California and Arizona in preparation for obtaining his commercial license.

Wing tip Wednesday! Let’s see your photos!

Meet IVFT’s newest CFI, Ronnie Weedon. Ronnie comes to us from Maryland by way of Vero Beach Florida. Ronnie has been instructing for approximately 18months with over 680 hours of dual instruction given!