Michael Hsu is a Californian native who has always called this state his home. Born in Northridge, CA, raised in Thousand Oaks, and living in Westlake Village are some of the few places that Hsu has found himself in, whether it was for school or to visit his friends and family. After attending Thousand Oaks High School and UCLA, Michael decided that he would further pursue two passions of his; finance and flying. Even though he had an extremely full workload at the University of Southern California, he found the thrill of flying to be extremely exciting, so much so that he obtained his private pilot license.
Hsu has always wanted to give back to the community that was critical in his upbringing, and a cause near and dear to his heart are animals and the sustainability of the planet. Hsu is an active volunteer, in both his time and resources, for various Animal welfare societies and leagues. Michael believes that through his passion for flying, and his dedication to giving every pet or animal a second chance after experiencing abuse or neglect, he can solve any problem put before him, even in a professional or personal setting.
Flying Clears The Foggiest Of Minds
Between his graduation from high school and the attendance of his first semester at UCLA, Michael Hsu had decided he wanted to obtain his private pilot’s license. It can be quite difficult to become a fully licensed pilot in the state of California, even for private reasons, as many applications come in daily. Through proper training and attendance at flight school, Michael decided that he had learned enough to continue his education and explore his passion in the driver’s seat. After only a few months, Michael was honored to be considered amongst the ranks of other PPL (private pilot licensed) aviators.
While this is usually the first step to becoming a commercial pilot, most would stop at this rare accolade if they do not wish to continue any further professionally, or if they do not want to expand on their hobby of flying. The natural course of progression would be to first obtain an instrument rating, which is a certificate that is extremely difficult to obtain in a short term due to various training and instructions, and the required number of flight hours. You are also required to pass multiple examinations.
Regardless of the difficulty, Michael was able to obtain his instrument rating in less than 2 years. This is why he is now able to fly unsupervised at night, through cloud cover and other minor weather conditions such as light rain and light fog.
Becoming a Companion To Our Companions
Michael Hsu is also an advocate of animal welfare. He has volunteered his time at Arizona Animal Welfare League and has donated thousands towards the Best Friends Animal Society. Both organizations are incredibly key to rescuing abused pets and finding them a forever home. Hsu has also donated to the Marine Conservation Institute, as he believes sustainability of the planet starts by taking good care of our oceans. Currently, only 3% of it is actively protected.