Christopher Gurrola Email & Phone Number

Would you feel comfortable troubleshooting your landing gear, stuck half-way up in the gear well, just after takeoff, while flying with an inexperienced co-pilot? My greatest professional reward is hearing heart-pumping stories where I’ve prepared young, and seasoned, aviators to handle the worst of the unexpected in aviation. I’ve been told that my “cool as a cucumber” demeanor in handling, and instructing through, real-world malfunctions has inspired student pilots and trainees with the confidence to tackle everything from flying their first solo in advanced turboprop aircraft to commanding low altitude visual survey missions from the desert through the highest terrain in the Continental United States, and preparing for world-wide military operations! My passion is to teach teachers to teach! As the Chief of Instructor Development at the USAF’s busiest training airfield, my goal was to instill an organizational environment that would sustain excellence; not just handing down knowledge from one generation of instructor pilots to the next, but which would build and advance on the insights of each professional aviator that took to the skies under our watch. A foundational approach to flying ensures the success of the mission and, most importantly, guarantees the safety of the crew and passengers aboard every flight from mission planning to mission completion, and heading home for the day. I love to lead in any environment, but especially in aviation. I enjoy integrating emerging corporate team-building and managerial training to the military flying environment, teaching key communication strategies, basic conflict resolution, and problem solving skills to produce the next generation of Air Force aviators. Team development and achievement goes a lot further than individual success! I have molded leaders who can target and ensure the successes of the lowest level members of their teams; winning day to day challenges that form the building blocks for overall company victories, as they approach their vision and goals for mission accomplishment. My drive and desire to teach the next generation extends to my private life where I love to play sports and help coach youth teams. I enjoy hiking in the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, and camping along the Southern California coast with friends and family. Flying is a passion and my profession, but service is my calling. I will serve your team’s success!

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  United States Air Force Academy

  Mechanical Engineering