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Sure, like most parents, his mother and father have been very supportive of his dream. But when he started his airborne adventure, he had no idea he’d end up where he is. In fact, until he landed his first job as a professional pilot, owning a private airplane was something his family had never consid- ered. But, before we get too far ahead, let’s go back to where it all started.
True Love Never Dies
“I grew up in England, and my father was away a lot on business. When I was four, my mom says I’d sit in our garden and watch the planes landing at Heathrow. I’d shout ‘Papa’ every time one flew over,” Max says. “Airplanes became my dad’s and my thing. We’d talk about airplanes all the time. He’d tell me about all the ones he flew on and ones he saw.”
“On my eighth birthday, I spent all of my gift money on Microsoft Flight Sim- ulator 2004. I don’t know how many hours I spent in my room imagining I was flying the world,” he said. “As much as I loved it, I never thought I would become a pilot. It wasn’t that I didn’t long to, but for some reason, maybe lack of confidence, felt that it was out of my reach. But I sure want- ed to try.”
The Weldons returned to the United States in time for Max to attend high school, and more importantly, convince his mother to let him take flying lessons.
“I had been pestering my mom to let me take lessons. She wasn’t com- fortable with any of the Cessnas or Pipers she saw,” he says. “But I was determined and found a f light school in White Plains with a fleet of new Cirrus SR20s. The parachute did the trick.”
“I soloed on September 18, 2015 – I have the shirt on my wall,” Max contin- ued. “I earned my PPL (Private Pilot’s License) and, like that, just hit a wall. I was so wiped out by all the studying and flying, trying to be really great, I just got burnt out. I honestly didn’t know if I’d ever f ly again.”
“It took me about six months to get my head around it and realize I wasn’t
going to settle for being a weekend pilot – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but it wasn’t enough for me,” he added. “I loved flying. I had to figure out a balance and a way to move forward.”
One thing that was on his side, which he’s very thankful for, is that his original f light instructor had be- come his friend and aviation mentor.
“He has always been very important in my aviation career. I wanted to be perfect. He taught me what it was to be a professional,” Max says. “He helped me over the hump, and that help has transformed from a private pilot into someone who can make professional aviation his career.”
A Career is Born
After earning all the required rat- ings, Max’s first break came when the Part 91 aircraft management company connected to the Cirrus Training Cen- ter hired him to be one of their contract pilots flying Cirrus owners around.
“I was 20 and had 250 hours in my logbook, but the operators knew and trusted me,” Max says. “It was a career- defining opportunity. Along with flight experience, I also learned firsthand what it meant to be a ‘professional’ pilot and being responsible for passengers and their needs.”
While that was indeed a break for young Max’s career, he says the true turning point was when he was offered the right seat for a flight in a Citation.
Jet Journal August 2020 / TWIN & TURBINE • 21