Bay Area · Certified Flight Instructor · Commercial Multi-Engine Instrument

Max Pollock
in the right seat.

Expert, safety-focused instruction tailored to your aircraft and your goals. I come to you — your cockpit, your home airport, your airspace.

1,200+
Flight Hours
25+
Years in Bay Area Skies
CMEL·I
Commercial Rated
Get In Touch Learn More
Max Pollock, CFI

About Max Pollock

Flying isn't what I do.
It's who I am.

I grew up in Marin County flying the Bay Area for over 25 years — this airspace is home. My background spans professional aerial survey operations in Cessna 206s, second-in-command in Citation jets on organ transplant missions, and significant time in high-performance Cirrus aircraft.

Today I work full-time as a Family Nurse Practitioner. The same qualities that define a skilled clinician — composure, precision, judgment under pressure — are exactly what I bring to every flight. Two high-stakes professions. One standard.

CMEL
Commercial Multi-Engine Land
IFR
Instrument Rated & Current
CFI
Certified Flight Instructor
FNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
In the Air

Pilot.
Decision-maker.

1,200+ hours across singles, multi-engine, glass cockpit, and complex airspace. Professional survey ops, organ transport in Citation jets, Bay Area instruction. Aviation is a discipline — and I treat it as one.

On the Ground

Family Nurse
Practitioner.

The qualities that define a skilled pilot — composure, precision, situational awareness, sound judgment — are the same qualities that define excellence in medicine. These aren't separate identities. They inform each other deeply.

"I've flown organs to waiting recipients with minutes to spare, and I've sat at a bedside making the same kind of call. Aviation and medicine taught me the same thing: clarity under pressure isn't optional — it's the job."

What I Offer

Instruction built around
your aircraft.

I work with pilots who own or regularly fly their own aircraft. No rentals, no repositioning — I meet you at your home airport, in your cockpit. Every hour we log together is directly relevant to the airplane you actually fly.

A note on my scope: I hold a CFI certificate and am rated as a Commercial Pilot with Multi-Engine Land and Instrument privileges — and I'm always transparent about what I can and cannot offer.

I provide certificated flight instruction within the scope of my CFI for single-engine operations, BFRs, endorsements, and aircraft transitions.

For multi-engine and instrument sign-offs, I do not hold CFII or MEI certificates. However, I am well qualified to act as a safety pilot or proficiency partner while you practice approaches or maintain currency.

01

Biennial Flight Review

A thorough BFR focused on how and where you actually fly. You'll leave current and genuinely more capable.

CFI Sign-Off Available
02

High-Performance & Complex Endorsements

Stepping into a retractable-gear or high-performance aircraft? I'll make sure you have the systems knowledge and skills to fly it safely.

Endorsement Available
03

Glass Cockpit & Avionics Training

G1000, Avidyne, Perspective — powerful tools, but only when you can use them under pressure. I help you integrate avionics into your airmanship.

TAA Specialty
04

Aircraft-Specific Transition Training

New to your Cirrus, Piper, or Cessna? Every hour we log together builds habits directly relevant to the airplane you own.

Per Aircraft Type
05

Safety Pilot — IFR Currency

As a current instrument-rated commercial pilot, I'm well suited to serve as PIC safety pilot while you shoot approaches or rebuild IFR currency.

Safety Pilot · Not CFI
06

Multi-Engine Proficiency Partner

Own a twin? I bring genuine multi-engine expertise and sharp safety awareness as an experienced second-in-command for engine-out practice.

SIC / Partner · Not MEI

Aircraft Familiarity

Experienced across the full spectrum of general aviation.

Cessna 172

Single Engine

Cessna 172 / 182 / 206

Extensive experience across the Cessna line. The 206 was my professional workhorse through years of aerial survey ops.

Cirrus SR22

High-Performance

Cirrus SR20 / SR22

Significant time in the full Cirrus ecosystem: CAPS, TKS ice protection, and the Perspective avionics suite.

Piper Seneca

Multi-Engine Piston

Multi-Engine Piston

Engine-out procedures, VMC awareness, and the systems knowledge that makes twin flying genuinely safe.

Cessna Citation

Business Aviation — SIC

Cessna Citation Series

Second-in-command across the Citation line, including organ transplant transport and high-profile charter work.

Garmin G1000 / G1000 NXi
Full proficiency — autopilot coupling, LPV approaches, synthetic vision, failure modes.
Avidyne Entegra & IFD Series
R9 MFD, IFD 440/540 navigators, integrated flight director / autopilot systems.
Cirrus Perspective by Garmin
CAPS integration, terrain, traffic, weather overlay and full automation management.
ForeFlight & ADS-B Datalink
In-flight weather, traffic, replanning, and situational awareness tools.

Service Area

Bay Area and beyond.

"I come to wherever your airplane lives. The most relevant instruction happens in your cockpit, at your home field, in the airspace you navigate every time you fly."

Growing up in Marin and flying the Bay Area for over 25 years gives me local knowledge that genuinely matters for instruction — the Marin hills and Class B transitions, the notorious afternoon marine layer, the Bay winds, and how to read Bay Area weather for what it actually is.

I can teach you to navigate this airspace the way an experienced local does — with the judgment that only comes from years of flying it in every condition.

Ready to Fly?

Ready to get back in the air?

Whether you're due for a BFR, stepping into a new aircraft, or want an experienced pilot in your right seat — reach out. Max keeps his schedule flexible for aircraft owners.

Send an Email
Email
maxlpollock@gmail.com
Phone / Text
(415) 509-6664
Based In
Berkeley, CA
Service Area
Greater Bay Area