About Me

Welcome to the Left Seater. I am your host and writer, Matt Wallace. I will be centering Left Seater around the industry of aviation all locally, regionally, federally and internationally. I am using this blog as a platform to extend help and unification to pilots of all flying backgrounds and walks of life, aviator enthusiasts and the issues and challenges that we all face to keep on flying the friendly skies and to keep that passion alive. I will mostly deal with those who have or are in fixed wing type of aircraft i.e. airplanes. But there can be some topics brought up such as what the given salary is for those who are rotor craft (helicopter) pilots, even blimps and balloons.

Some about me: I am a 2011 graduate of the University of Texas at Arlington with a BA degree in Mass Communications (Journalism). I have contributed to annual reports that my school sent to Texas Congress and to Washington D.C. on the accomplishments of students and faculty at the university for continued government funding of the school and its programs. I am currently an instrument-rated private pilot working on my commercial pilot's license with the desire to be a professional airline pilot for the long haul of my career. I am training with the great instructors of the Central Texas College in Killeen. Of course I enjoy flying. I also enjoy running, traveling, music, food, and hanging out with friends and my wife. Some of the planes I have flown include the Cessna 152, 172, the Piper Archer, and the Mooney M20J. Some that I have ambition to fly one day are the wide array of commercial airliners like the Boeing 747, 777, and 787.

This blog is hereby dedicated to those over the span of all my life who have inspired me and encouraged me to chase after my dreams with all I've got. Now my dream is a reality! And to all of them, they each have a piece. Only a few are listed but just to give an idea.

1. Jared Absher- college friend and buddy who took me for my first flight in a small airplane and let me have a dose of the fun.

2. Jerry Absher- Boeing 757 and 76 captain at American Airlines.

3. Lt. Col. Golda Eldridge (US Air Force Ret.)- retired pilot and commander of US Air Force ROTC detachment at Texas Christian Univ.

4. Devon Burris- current Embry Riddle University instructor.

5. Wayne Phillips- columnist for AOPA Flight Training Magazine.