Flight Training - August 2024 - 25

FIVE QUESTIONS
BY EMMA QUEDZUWEIT
KEVIN DELMOLINO
BASS GUITAR TO CORPORATE JETS
A CHILDHOOD WITH MODEL AIRPLANES SPARKED KEVIN
Delmolino's love for aviation, but it wasn't until an economic
recession made him look for a second career that he began
to consider getting his pilot certificate. In between tours as a
professional musician, he took lessons at a local flight school in
Massachusetts owned by a family he knew, and after progressing
through ratings and flying jobs found his niche in corporate
aviation. He now flies a Bombardier Challenger 350 for a private
company but still enjoys performing music, giving flight instruction,
or flying to the next grass strip in his American Champion
Citabria based at Keymar Airpark (MD42) in Maryland.
How did you get started in aviation? My father was an
airplane buff. He began flying model airplanes as a young boy
and he carried that love of building and flying models his entire
life. When I was just a toddler, I started accompanying him
to the model flying field and I loved it. I started learning to fly
radio-controlled airplanes at the age of 4. I got into the aviation
business as a second career and was able to flight instruct at a
local flight school and fly charter. Early on I knew that I wanted
to stay in corporate aviation, and over the past 36 years have
flown for management and charter companies.
Favorite aircraft? Like most young boys who grew up in the
mid-1970s and loved all things airplane, the television show
Baa Baa Black Sheep with the Vought F4U-1 Corsair front and
center every week was a powerful influence. It doesn't look
like any other airplane, has great lines and a massive engine
and propeller that just growled. What's not to love! Early in
my aviation career I was fortunate to meet Walter J. Koladza, a
test pilot for Chance Vought who flew the new Corsairs as they
came off the assembly line during World War II. His stories and
knowledge of the Corsair that he shared ingrained it in my brain.
Favorite aviation activity? I'm not sure
I can only name one activity as a favorite
because I love it all. But I do especially
enjoy helping low-time or rusty pilots with
their aviation journey. I think there is merit
to the adage that when you get a pilot certificate
it's a license to learn. I love working
with folks when they want to start filling in
the void between the book knowledge they
have memorized and how to apply it. It's
fun to watch the pieces fall into place.
Biggest challenges? My biggest hurdle
has always been distraction. Prioritizing
time for studies and regular flight
training in a hectic schedule was and still
is a challenge.
Advice for student pilots? Aviation
is a journey, not a destination. Develop
a professional mindset from the start to
continually want to learn more and fly
safer with greater precision. Ask questions,
seek advice. It's easy to think of obtaining
a specific license or flying job as the goal
and to focus on the absolute bare minimum
to achieve these outcomes, but aviation-
being such a dynamic, fluid and sometimes
unforgiving endeavor-demands more
than just good enough. The greatest pilots
I have ever known all have the same trait,
the quest to continue learning. So, whether
you're working toward your first rating
or your last, always strive to be better than
yesterday. Oh, and don't forget to have fun!
emma.quedzuweit@aopa.org
LOGBOOK
NAME: Kevin
Delmolino
HOURS: 12,016
CERTIFICATES
AND RATINGS: ATP
airplane multiengine
land (Cessna Citation
CE-525S, Bombardier
Challenger CL-30,
Hawker Siddeley
HS-125, and LR-JET
type ratings);
commercial airplane
single-engine land
and sea, CFI, CFII,
MEI, advanced and
instrument ground
instructor.
FLIGHT TRAINING AUGUST 2024
25
DAVID TULIS
Flight Training - August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2024
