“I always loved the freedom of flying, and being a pilot just naturally seemed like the next step,” said Lofton. “You can point the nose on the horizon and just go there.” 

Lofton is planning on working for U.S. Aviation, the company Southeast partners with for flight training. Lofton will be a flight instructor at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, and he’s excited to help educate the next generation of the aviation industry.

“I would have to say the most important part of teaching a new pilot is good and effective communication,” Lofton said. “During our CFI class, we spent a fair amount of time going over the factors that can impact communication. You can be the smartest pilot out there, teaching the most fundamental safety topics, but if you can’t ensure the student is gathering the information you intend to teach, watching paint dry would be just as an effective use of time.” 

Lofton was inspired to choose instruction as a career path partly from watching aviation instructors at SEMO. He points to Miranda Sullivan, SEMO’s director of Aviation, as one of those.

“She’s such a big help,” Lofton said. “Her knowledge in the industry and her charisma helped me stay motivated.”

The professional pilot program at Southeast pairs academics with lab courses at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. Students begin flight training in the first semester, learn to manage an aircraft and its crew, and work with area aviation partners. Southeast’s fleet includes the Cessna 172 M aircraft, which has been used to train more pilots than any other airplane in the history of aviation. The 172 is ranked best for safety and is easy to fly.

“Before any flight, we do extensive planning before we even walk to the plane,” Lofton said. “This can take quite a while. We need to inspect all aspects of the plane, ensuring the aircraft is safe to fly. But, once all that is done, you can do what you put all the effort towards, and I find this extremely satisfying.”