Enrico L. "Sam" DiGiammarino, Jr., Sam to everyone but the bill
collectors, is AeroCare Flying Club's Chief Flight Instructor.
Sam, who had his first flight at 12 years old from a grass strip in
northwestern Pennsylvania, wanted to fly all of his life. Like many of
us, life got in the way of what he really wanted to do. Shortly after
his 50th birthday, while he and Brenda, his wife of two years, were
working in the yard, a plane flew low over the house. Looking up, Sam
exclaimed again at how he had always wanted to fly. Brenda, without
missing a beat, said "Well, do you want to wait until you are 60 or
70 to start?" With her encouragement and support, Sam started his
lessons three weeks later.
Sam has been flying for nearly ten years, taking his primary flight
training at Peachtree-Dekalb airport in Atlanta (the 13th busiest
general aviation airport in the country). Sam learned in Piper
airplanes (low wings) and soon after getting his
Private Pilot's
License bought a Piper Cherokee. Eight months later, Sam was Instrument
Rated. Sam and Brenda then moved up to a Piper Comanche 260.
Each of their airplanes were hangared at Carrollton in the "T"
hangars
near the AeroCare Flying Services hangar. Cecil did all the work on
Brenda's & Sam's airplanes. Cecil recognized that Sam was
"teaching" everyone to whom he gave rides, and suggested that Sam
become a CFII and come teach for AeroCare Flying Club. The young flight
instructors that Cecil hired would leave for airline or charter jobs,
often leaving students in the middle of their training.
Brenda offered Sam the opportunity to partially retire from their Insurance Agency, and take Cecil up on his offer by becoming a Certified Flight Instructor (since every time she tried to get him, he was at the airport anyhow). In October 2001 Sam completed his Flight Instructor and Instrument Instructor training at American Flyers in Pompano Beach, Florida. He returned to AeroCare to take over as Chief Flight Instructor.