Q&A with a Republic Pilot: Noah Franklin
Noah Franklin, 21, grew up knowing he wanted to be an airline pilot. His uncle, an airline pilot, sparked Noah’s interest. His parents helped keep his interest – taking him and his brothers to watch planes land and take off at a local airport. He got his private pilot’s license during high school and was excited to pursue his dream career as an airline pilot after he graduated. When Noah found out about Leadership In Flight (LIFT) Academy, owned and operated by Republic Airways, his interest was piqued.
Noah was excited to find a flight training program that got him from training into the cockpit of a jet in the least amount of time. LIFT was exactly what he was looking for – a program training pilots using Republic procedures and checklists – truly preparing students to be airline pilots. Noah, straight out of high school, was one of the first students to begin flight training at LIFT Academy and is now a First Officer at Republic at the age of 21 – and loving every minute of it.
TAKEOFF CHECKLIST –
- Favorite overnight city? New York
- Dream airport to fly into? Singapore
- Favorite plane flown? Embraer 175
- Dream plane to fly? 777
- Hardest rating to achieve? CFI
- Favorite airport meal? Pizza in LaGuardia
- Role model? My Dad – he’s always helped me strive to be the best I can be
What made you want to be a pilot/what drew you to aviation?
Noah Franklin – I wanted to become a pilot because of my uncle – who is a pilot at Southwest Airlines. I saw first-hand how much he enjoyed his job and the life he led because of his job and worked with him to figure out the steps to become a pilot.
When were you a student at LIFT? Certificated Flight Instructor(CFI)?
Noah – I was a student from September 2018 to July 2019 and was a CFI from October 2019 to July 2021.
What was your experience like as a student? As an CFI?
Noah – As a student at LIFT, my experience was very different than it was when I was getting my private at a Part 61 school. At the Part 61 school, nothing was structured. But at LIFT, training felt organized – I was told when I had flight lessons, knew what I needed to do to prepare for my next lesson and kept moving forward in training. As a CFI, I really enjoyed seeing people progress in their training and achieve their dreams, just like I was doing.
What made you excited to go to Republic to fly?
Noah – I was excited learn to fly a jet and to be able to fly our passengers, getting them to their destinations safely. I was also excited to be able to fly in and out of busy airports, going to new places and experiencing different things.
What was training at Republic like?
Noah – Training at Republic was structured – my time was scheduled out and I knew how to prepare for each day ahead. I worked closely with the other pilots in my training class, studying and preparing.
How did your education at LIFT prepare you for the airlines?
Noah – LIFT prepared me procedurally for Republic. I earned my flight ratings at LIFT and set a good foundation for my future career. I built good study habits while at LIFT, and those study habits set me up for success during training at Republic.
Did you feel like you had an advantage compared to others in your class because of your training at LIFT Academy?
Noah – I felt less overwhelmed than some of my peers because I already had experience flying advanced airplanes with the G1000 during training at LIFT. This allowed me to focus on learning the jet and on training compared to learning the G1000.
What tools did you rely on the most during your training at Republic?
Noah – I relied most on friends from LIFT who had already completed training at Republic and were flying at the airline. If I was stuck on something, I knew I could reach out to them, and they would help in any way they could.
What is it like to be a commercial airline pilot?
Noah – I love being a pilot. It definitely feels different walking into the airport for work each day than I felt walking in to go on vacation. It feels great.
What do you have to look forward to in your career as a pilot?
Noah – I am hoping to fly with my uncle one day. I am excited to see where the industry continues to grow and being a part of that growth. I am also looking forward to being able to support my family and help them see the world when the time comes.
