Gretta – I relate to your comments, and I empathize with your perception of how society treats ex-felons. As to your question, “What then?” – the short answer is, you get back up, brush off the dust and charge back after your goal or objective. The long answer is a little more involved. After I was released in early August, 1980, I spent a solid month canvassing office and industrial parks looking for work – any work. I was driving along a back access road through Cleveland Hopkins Airport and noticed a row of small airplanes. It was a flight school. I had a curiosity for airplanes, and because there was this fantasy that I might go to school for aviation based upon an interview I had with a counselor, which I all but completely dismissed as even a realistic possibility, I stopped, parked my car and started walking around looking at the little Cessna 152’s. Admittedly, I also stopped because I was feeling a little beaten up that particular day with the extreme heat and several bombed interviews. I paid little attention to a maintenance man who was mowing the grass. I figured he would eventually come over and kick me off the premises, but until he did, I just kept looking at all of the airplanes. Sure enough, I noticed the maintenance guy was mowing a path straight in my direction, and when he was within five feet of me, the engine stopped. He hopped off the lawn tractor and walked up to me, looking like he just crawled out of a 110-degree grease pit full of grass – the sweat pouring off of him. Unexpectedly, he greeted me with a broad smile and an enthusiastic, “Hi, how are you! Are you a pilot?” I just laughed and said, “I wish!” “Well, this place is a flight school,” he said. “If you want to learn, they can teach you.” He reached out his hand and introduced himself, “I’m John Kovach.” I shook hands and said, “Hi John, I’m Dave Koch.” His voice was pleasant, he was easy going, and for some reason, he just seemed like he was genuinely interested in me. “Are you interested in learning how to fly?” John asked. I said, “Well, I have a few limitations.” “Like what,” he asked. “Well, money for one – it’s pretty thin right now,” I responded. He rubbed his chin for a few seconds in thought and said, “There are all kinds of student loans, grants and other programs that can help pay for training, so that can be taken care of.” There must have been something in my demeanor, a look on my face, something that he noticed – that it wasn’t just about the money. He asked, “What else is holding you back?” I just responded with a shrug of my shoulders and said, “I just don’t think my future includes getting a pilot’s license.” This man of probably sixty-plus years must have felt something in his gut. He put his hand on my shoulder and in a warm personal tone that felt like it was coming from God, he said, “Tell me your story son – maybe I can help.” We walked over to a couple of chairs that were placed in front of one of the hangers. He went inside and came out with a couple bottles of soda. As he handed me a soda, he said in a really gentle tone, “Tell me your story son.” He sat and just looked at me – totally silent – smiling and not at all intimidating. As I sat there, sipping the cold soda, I looked in his eyes. His expression was one that made me feel like no matter what I said, he wouldn’t pass judgment. What the hell, I thought. I’ll probably never see this guy again for the rest of my life. There’s no loss in telling him and besides, he just bought me a soda that I couldn’t have afforded to buy myself. I looked at him and said, “I don’t think they give pilot licenses to guys who just got out of the can.” His eyes smiled almost as though he knew what I needed to tell him. “Prison or just county jail,” he asked. “Oh, it was the real McCoy,” I replied, “Both federal and state.” John rubbed his chin for probably a minute as he thought. Then he said, “I don’t think that would pose any limitations. I’m pretty familiar with the Federal Aviation Regulations and I cannot think of any that would prevent you from pursuing an aviation career.” Then he asked, “What did you do?” Since I wasn’t interviewing for a job, I didn’t dance around the question. I just gave him the full report. No face-down cards – no hidden agendas – I just laid it out and spilled my guts. He listened intently. I saw real and deep concern in his eyes as he listened and rubbed his chin the entire time. After I finished, John asked, “So, what are you doing now?” I explained that I had been looking for work – a job – any job. “Any luck?” he asked. I just shook my head, no. “So, you’re available to work,” he asked. “Definitely,” I replied. John looked at me and smiled and asked, “Do you think you could cut the grass?” I shook my head and said, “Sure!” Inside, my first thoughts were, geezzz, a job cutting grass? Is this my destiny? As for getting a pilots license, I thought that was a pretty far-fetched assertion. But, a job and income sounded good, even if it wasn’t the greatest job in the world. John went on asking, “How about keeping the hangers clean, scrubbing the hanger floors, washing the airplanes, fueling airplanes and keeping the offices clean?” The whole time John was posing these questions, I just kept shaking my head and replying, “Yes, sure, yes, sure.” John took the last swig from his soda and said, “Good, when can you start?” I was silent for a few seconds and just stared at him. Then I said, “Well, I appreciate that sir, but I wouldn’t want to take your job from you.” He just smiled and said, “Oh, that’s okay, I have plenty of other things to keep me busy.” A little puzzled, I gestured and asked, “Like what?” He calmly replied, “Oh, I’m the president of this company, I own this flight school, and I’m a FAA Examiner.” If you’re serious about wanting to get your pilot’s license, I can help you with that too.” As he was walking away, he looked back at me, smiled and winked and said, “I know this might not be your dream job, but look at the bright side of it – you’re starting out with presidential duties. I’ll see you next Monday at 8:00 AM sharp.” It turns out that John was also a retired Cleveland Police Officer having served a couple of decades on the force. The flight school was his second passion and career. Perhaps this accounted for his perception that my issue was more than just money. Looking at this guy, you wouldn’t think he had two nickels to rub together. To abbreviate the story, he hired me, and he and his wife helped me with securing some student loans and grants, along with another individual, which is a story in itself. I cut the grass, I washed the airplanes, I cleaned the hangers, I pumped fuel, and I learned to fly. This was the beginning of a rewarding career as a captain flying some of the finest corporate jets on the planet. Think about why the president of that flight school was cutting the grass, cleaning the hangers, washing airplanes and fueling airplanes. It is because those were jobs that needed to be done, but they were jobs that no one else wanted. Be willing to take that job that no one else wants. It can lead to great things… Although this first job may not have been my ideal career choice, I took pride in my work. I never missed a day of work, I was never late, I was responsible and I was accountable. When I washed an airplane, it looked like it just rolled off the factory floor. I even took the time to clean the instrument faces with Q-Tips. The flight instructors and the customers frequently commented on what a great job I was doing and how good the fleet of training aircraft looked. I took the same time and pride when I cleaned the hangers. My meticulous work habits paid off. The day I took my FAA flight check ride and received my flight instructor’s certificate, the Boss congratulated me and said, “Wear a shirt and tie to work tomorrow. Tomorrow, you’re a flight instructor.” Taking that first crummy job is a little tough on the pride. Call it double jeopardy, or collateral damage, or call it whatever you want. I called it reality. You don’t have a great deal of control over that. You do however have total control over whether or not you earn pay raises and promotions. That is controlled by how you perform in that first job. Provided that you perform to the best of your ability, even if you do not receive the promotions and pay raises you have earned, you have acquired the experience and good references that you can take to a new employer. Did all of this just happen by luck? Was it because the opportunity found me, or was it because I found the opportunity? I was simply out there and available, so when an opportunity came along, I was poised and positioned to see it. When the opportunity became available, I was available to seize it. Just get out there. But, this is only part of the significance of my story. Besides just being out there and making yourself available to opportunity, another key here is this. I didn’t feel nervous talking to John Kovach [the maintenance guy] who was mowing the lawn at the flight school because I perceived him to be just a maintenance man – not the president and owner of the business. When John asked, “What is your story son,” I just laid it out and told him – spilled my guts out. I didn’t sugar coat it, I didn’t hide any of it, I didn’t dance around it, and I didn’t try to justify it or blame anyone else for it. I just laid it out. I was totally and brutally honest. John apparently sensed my candor, and when he did, he opened up his arms and offered to help. It made him feel good because, together we were going to go out and conquer these challenges. And we did. People want to be a savior; they want to rescue other people from distress. You can use your conviction and your status as an underdog as a tool. From that moment forward, I have just simply been completely open and forthright about my past. If asked about my conviction, I disclose it – fully and without anything hidden. Even if not asked about it, if the circumstances dictate that the other party may have the right to know, I disclose it before fully consummating whatever agreements are on the table. If you want more specifics on my interviewing techniques, let me know. One of the things I have made a habit of doing when I’m feeling a little beaten up, is to think about people like Christopher Reeves. Indeed, What then? - Dave
Dave Koch
dlk@dkoch.net
(323) 364-4085
www.dkoch.net