Debrief /

Fans of the television series Full House, which aired from 1987 until 1995 on ABC, will recognize Dave Coulier as “Joey Gladstone,” the series’ character Uncle Joey. Today Coulier continues his career as a stand-up comedian performing comedy that is “clean…but not as creepy as Full House,” he quips. An instrument-rated private pilot, Coulier earned his private certificate in 1979 at age 19.

Started in aviation… My dad had a friend who flew a Cessna 180 at a small, nontowered field near our home in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. They would fly together on weekends. When I was just 5 years old, my dad brought me along. That first flight on a cold winter day got me hooked on aviation for a lifetime. I got my private license at that same airport.

Early challenges…I paid for my own flight training, so cost was an issue. I had to work two jobs to pay for it. In Michigan, we used to have winter weather that lasted for a longer time than it does today. I was happy to have those weather challenges—icing conditions, preheating the airplane, icy runway surfaces, snow, and lots of IFR and marginal VFR. It taught me a lot about adverse weather.

Hardest lessons… Flying under the hood was always a challenge. I based my Bonanza at Santa Monica, California, for a number of years. And although Southern California has some great, year-round flying weather, there’s a lot of fog. I started my instrument training with my instructor, Mark Doolittle (yep, he’s related to Jimmy of “Raiders” fame). Six months later I was filing IFR and was a safer and more knowledgeable pilot. Mark told me: “If you can fly IFR in the Los Angeles airspace, you’ll be able to fly anywhere in the world.”

Favorite aviation activity… I love to visit family and friends—so there’s no better excuse than to get in an airplane and go. And being able to fly to some of my stand-up comedy dates is a great feeling. It combines two things that I enjoy very much.

Favorite airplane… It’s a tie. I really like the Cessna Corvalis and Cirrus SR22. How safe and cool is having an airplane with a parachute?

Advice for students…Don’t rush or skip any steps. Knowledge makes you a safer pilot. And learning is fun!

Fans of the television series Full House, which aired from 1987 until 1995 on ABC, will recognize Dave Coulier as “Joey Gladstone,” the series’ character Uncle Joey. Today Coulier continues his career as a stand-up comedian performing comedy that is “clean…but not as creepy as Full House,” he quips. An instrument-rated private pilot, Coulier earned his private certificate in 1979 at age 19.

Started in aviation… My dad had a friend who flew a Cessna 180 at a small, nontowered field near our home in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. They would fly together on weekends. When I was just 5 years old, my dad brought me along. That first flight on a cold winter day got me hooked on aviation for a lifetime. I got my private license at that same airport.

Early challenges…I paid for my own flight training, so cost was an issue. I had to work two jobs to pay for it. In Michigan, we used to have winter weather that lasted for a longer time than it does today. I was happy to have those weather challenges—icing conditions, preheating the airplane, icy runway surfaces, snow, and lots of IFR and marginal VFR. It taught me a lot about adverse weather.

Hardest lessons… Flying under the hood was always a challenge. I based my Bonanza at Santa Monica, California, for a number of years. And although Southern California has some great, year-round flying weather, there’s a lot of fog. I started my instrument training with my instructor, Mark Doolittle (yep, he’s related to Jimmy of “Raiders” fame). Six months later I was filing IFR and was a safer and more knowledgeable pilot. Mark told me: “If you can fly IFR in the Los Angeles airspace, you’ll be able to fly anywhere in the world.”

Favorite aviation activity… I love to visit family and friends—so there’s no better excuse than to get in an airplane and go. And being able to fly to some of my stand-up comedy dates is a great feeling. It combines two things that I enjoy very much.

Favorite airplane… It’s a tie. I really like the Cessna Corvalis and Cirrus SR22. How safe and cool is having an airplane with a parachute?

Advice for students…Don’t rush or skip any steps. Knowledge makes you a safer pilot. And learning is fun!