Owner: Nate Ehlers
8,500+ Flight Hours | CFI/CFII/MEI/ATP | Military & Airline Pilot
Elite Training Background
Nate isn't just another pilot creating training materials - he's among the top 1% of military-trained aviators. His credentials speak for themselves:
USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training - #1 Overall
-
Daedalian AETC Commander's Trophy - Overall Class Ranking: #1 (the highest honor in Air Force pilot training, combining flying excellence, academics, and military leadership)
-
Top Stick - Highest scores in T-6 Phase (Class Ranking: #1)
-
Flying Training Award - Highest flying scores in entire class
-
Academic Training Award - Highest academic scores in entire class
-
Distinguished Graduate - Top 10% of class
Military Excellence
-
C-17 Instructor Pilot, U.S. Air Force Reserve, 732nd Airlift Squadron
-
Aircraft Commander of the Year, 2017-2018
-
Copilot of the Year, 2015-2016
Current Experience
-
Active Airline Pilot - Flying commercial operations daily
-
CFI/CFII/MEI/ATP Ratings - Certified to teach at all levels
-
8,500+ Flight Hours across Cessna, Diamond, Boeing, and military aircraft
Born from Real Cockpit Experience
Backseat Pilot wasn't created in a classroom, it was born from a real lost comms situation.
The tower's radios went out on downwind at KLGB, I got a steady green light to land, and afterward I kept thinking: What if I got a different signal and hadn’t been 100% sure what it meant? That moment sparked the original "Backseat Pilot" - the IFR/VFR Reference Card.
"If I needed a quick reference in the cockpit, I figured other pilots did too. Every product we create solves a real problem I've faced in actual flight operations."
By Pilots, For Pilots
Our mission is simple: create the reference materials and training tools that pilots actually need, designed by someone who flies (almost) every day. We're building a brotherhood of flight - a community where pilots help pilots become safer, more confident aviators.
When you learn from Backseat Pilot, you're learning from someone who:
- Flies commercially and militarily on a regular basis
- Has trained dozens of military pilots as a C-17 IP
- Earned the highest honors in one of the world's most demanding pilot training programs
- Has flown everything from light GA aircraft (Cessna, Diamond) to heavy military transports (C-17) and commercial jets
- Has experience across the full spectrum of aviation: local GA flights, airline operations in various countries, combat and military operations around the world, air refueling, tactical maneuvers, and low-level flying
- Creates every product based on real operational experience, not theory
Ready to Learn from the Best?
Whether you're a student pilot or a seasoned aviator, our materials are designed to make you safer and more confident in the cockpit. Every product is created with the same attention to detail and excellence that earned Nate the AETC Commander's Trophy.
Welcome to the brotherhood of flight.
Business Side: Johnny
A finance manager and the owner of a private consulting firm for software start-ups, Johnny provides the business acumen to keep The Backseat Pilot running smoothly.
Products:
The Backseat Pilot reference card was born from a lost comms situation at the Long Beach airport. The tower's radios went out on downwind for 25L, and after lining up on final we were given the steady green light clearing us to land. I later realized that had they given us a different light gun signal I may not have been 100% sure of what to do. There's a lot of information pilot's need to know that is rarely used, except in unusual or emergency situations. To prevent putting myself in another situation like this, I immediately began carrying a reference for the light gun signals, and the reference card slowly grew from there to what it is today: a compilation of the most critical, difficult to retain, and useful information for a pilot to have on hand at any time.
I vividly remember the tremendous amount of time I spent working on my CFI, CFII, and MEI lessons. A backbone of lesson plans that I could build off of would have been extremely helpful and saved me weeks, if not months, of time preparing for the checkride and becoming an employed pilot. I hope these lessons can be a backbone for instructors to tailor to their own teaching styles and needs.
Why We're Here:
We love aviation, that's why we developed a website by pilots for pilots.
We strive to provide the most comprehensive and useful products for flight instructors and pilots alike. We're always look for way to update our lesson plans to make them more useful and informative and will continue adding resources to the website. We're here to help you. If you have any questions, suggestions, recommendations or just want to talk about flying please don't hesitate to send an email. We like to think of this website as the second step (the first step was the previous website) to reach our end goal: Aviation is a family and in time we hope to continue by building a brotherhood of flight on the internet.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns you can reach us at info@thebackseatpilot.com.
Disclaimer: The Backseat Pilot is not affiliated with the Department of Defense (DoD), and any information contained here may not necessarily reflect the views of the DoD or any associated organizations.
