Matthew Johnston

Mr. Matthew A. Johnston has over 23 years of experience serving various roles in education and is currently serving as the President of California Aeronautical University. He maintains memberships and is a supporting participant with several aviation promoting and advocacy associations including University Aviation Association (UAA), Regional Airline Association (RAA), AOPA, NBAA, and EAA with the Young Eagles program. He is proud of his collaboration with airlines, aviation businesses and individual aviation professionals who are working with him to develop California Aeronautical University as a leader in educating aviation professionals.

Strange Aviation Sounds Small-Airplane Passengers (and Pilots) Hear

May 24, 2024May 2, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Passengers in big airliners hear certain aviation sounds that have become commonplace in our flying experience. They hear machine made aviation sounds (like the engines humming as the jet flies through the air) and other assorted things like the flight attendant call button tones. But, on the whole, the auditory environment within the giant flying tube …

Strange Things Small Airplane Passengers See And Feel

May 24, 2024May 2, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Even without having ever been in a functional airplane, Leonardo Da Vinci observed, For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Flying in a small airplane, whether as the pilot or as a passenger, is …

How Pilots Should Talk to Non-Pilots

May 21, 2024April 20, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Pilots necessarily have a significant aeronautical vocabulary that has been refined for decades. Much of it is formalized in the Pilot/Controller Glossary (Federal Aviation Administration, 2014) and in the Airman’s Information Manual (AIM) (Federal Aviation Administration, 2017). Both of these are published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is the governmental arm responsible for overseeing air …

What Passengers Can Do in Small Plane Emergencies

May 24, 2024April 9, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Let’s begin with this: Airplane accidents and incidents, whether in a relatively small plane like a four-seater or in giant airliners, are incredibly-rare events and, despite the common fiction, people do not typically die in airplane accidents. According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s latest, 2015 Civil Aviation Accident Statistics (the latest combined data available), …

How a Private Pilot Gets Ready for a Flight

May 21, 2024April 3, 2018 Matthew Johnston

In the outstanding TV series Sky King, which ran from 1951 to 1962, “Sky” would rush out to his twin-engine Cessna, the Songbird, start her up, and spring into the sky, ready to do good deeds at a moment’s notice. Sounds romantic, doesn’t it? It’s not. It’s death-defying. Before any flight, all pilots must do …

The Easy and Hard Parts of Learning to Fly

November 27, 2024March 19, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Remember back when you were learning how to drive? At the beginning, it was probably kind of confusing, especially if you were trying to learn on a stick shift. How fast do I let the clutch out? How can I figure out where to put my foot when I’m not looking down? How do I drive …

Potential Distractions in the Cockpit

May 23, 2024March 16, 2018 Matthew Johnston

In commercial airline flights these days the cabin where the pilots are located is always locked up and secured, allowing the pilot and co-pilot to fly the plane without distractions. The same is not true when you look at a small plane situation with the cockpit open to the rest of the smaller craft. Let’s …

California Aeronautical University 2018 Top Hawk University

May 21, 2024March 9, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Each year, ten of our nation’s top performing aviation universities are invited by Textron-Cessna to apply for the Top Hawk program. Of those ten, only five are selected for Top Hawk Program. The Top Hawk program is designed to reward exceptional universities through a partnership internship by providing them with a brand-new Cessna 172 aircraft, …

New Programs and CAU – Bachelors in Aviation Business Admin and MBA

February 11, 2020March 9, 2018 Matthew Johnston

California Aeronautical University is excited to announce three new program offerings! CAU now accepting applications for the Bachelor of Science in Aviation Business Management, Master of Business Administration (MBA). Students in the Bachelors of Science in Aviation Business Management will obtain their degree in just three years. This program includes courses like Accounting Principles, Payroll …

Airline Cadet Programs – What Are They?

May 22, 2024March 9, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Assorted airline recruitment brochures and pamphlets spread on a wooden table, including Mesa, GoJet, Piedmont cadet program, SkyWest and Trans States logos.

The world of professional aviation can take many forms from airliners to corporate flying, career flight instructing to skydiving operations. The largest portion of university students hoping to become professional pilots will ultimately head to the airlines. To help bridge the gap between school and employment, many regional airlines have created cadet programs which give …

Much anticipated Top Hawk aircraft delivered to California Aeronautical University

June 29, 2018March 7, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Result of winning national aviation university competition For more information: Call (661) 615-5915 / Monica Raymond After selecting California Aeronautical University as a 2018 Top Hawk University, Textron Aviation Inc., the leading general aviation authority, will deliver a much anticipated new, custom branded Cessna Skyhawk 172 to the University on March 30, 2018. California Aeronautical …

Dead Bug Landings

May 24, 2024March 2, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Most fields of endeavor have tricks of the trade or rules of thumb that help practitioners take care of business more easily. For example, one trick to parallel-parking a normal car in countries where we drive on the right side of the road is to wait to turn the steering wheel hard right until you, …

Great Flight Instructor Or Horrible Flight Instructor

May 21, 2024February 27, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Thinking about becoming a pilot? Anyone who wants to fly needs to be taught by a competent instructor. If you’re not in the military, you get to choose who will teach you, and it’s a much bigger decision that it first seems to be. Like in all things, you can have a great flight instructor or …

Alpha Eta Rho Welcomes New Chapter from CAU

May 21, 2024February 13, 2018 Matthew Johnston

California Aeronautical University has announced its partnership with the Alpha Eta Rho aviation fraternity, creating the new Alpha Sigma Psi chapter of the fraternity after an official initiation ceremony on Thursday, January 18th. Founded under the guiding principle of being a shining beacon for modern aeronautical education, CAU has decided to take its commitment a …

7 Things Passengers Should Know About Small Planes

May 24, 2024February 13, 2018 Matthew Johnston

People pretty much know how to behave as passengers on a jetliner as opposed to small planes. Sure, some people, the outliers, do ridiculous things like argue with and threaten the flight attendants (federal offense!), or try to open the cockpit door or escape doors during flight. Instead, we the majority tighten our seat belts …

How Regular People Can Become A Pilot

May 21, 2024February 2, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Every person over two years of age has some kind of feeling and wonder about airplanes. If an airplane is flying over our heads, and if it is low enough, virtually every normal human looks up and thinks, even briefly, about what’s going on up there, not to mention that many children also express interest …

The Awesome and Surprising Experience of Flying an Airplane

May 22, 2024January 29, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Flying An Airplane Vs. Being Flown | CAU

Unlike actually flying an airplane, virtually all of us have been passengers in one. If we’re in an airliner, we watch the flight attendants move around the cabin and act predictably. We’ll hear cabin announcements made by the cockpit crew and, if we’re extremely lucky, we will even be able to hear the announcement well …

Taking a First Time Passenger Flying

May 24, 2024January 19, 2018 Matthew Johnston

A freshly-minted pilot’s first thought is invariably very exciting: I want to take my friends or family up into the air while I’m at the controls! Of course, there’s another agenda, even if we don’t always admit it: Most new pilots with their private pilot certificate like showing off, at least a little. And pilots …

California Aeronautical University grads cleared for takeoff with Compass Airlines

May 21, 2024January 10, 2018 Matthew Johnston

Compass Airlines Instructor Pathway Program offers extraordinary career opportunity for CAU graduates. BAKERSFIELD, CA — Graduates of California Aeronautical University’s professional pilot programs have a clear pathway to a flight career with Compass Airlines. During a recent visit to California Aeronautical University, Compass Airlines recruiters met with students and officially welcomed CAU graduates into the …

CFI Student Pilots Sign-On with Mesa Airlines

November 27, 2024December 26, 2017 Matthew Johnston

Mesa Airlines Pilot Recruitment came to the CAU campus last week and presented our student CFI pilots Luis and Tanner with an incredible achievement! They both are now part of the Mesa CFI (Certified Flight Instructor) Cadet Program! In partnership with Southern Airways Express, Mesa Airlines created the Cadet program to provide flight school graduates with a direct pathway to a …