When his alarm goes off in the morning, Christopher Carrozzella is faced with two options, should he begin his day in the law office, or up in the air?

Splitting his time between his bankruptcy practice on North Main Street in Wallingford and Meriden-Markham Municipal Airport, Carrozzella has a second job that rises above the rest.

Although he remains dedicated to his legal career, Carrozzella last year became a part-time flight instructor as well.

"Flying and flight instruction has always been a part of my life, and it's just come together in the past couple years," he said. "I've always had the desire to fly. It was just something I wanted to do."

Carrozzella, 50, is so passionate about flying that he even changed his focus in law. Shifting from personal injury litigation to bankruptcy, he found the flexibility in his work schedule to fit more time in for flying.

"It's beautiful. I've geared my law practice to do both," he said. "I used to be involved in the type of law that required me to be running around and going back and forth to court. I made a conscious decision to get out of that kind of law. I can fly and teach students in the morning and go to the office in the afternoon or vice versa. I've geared my practice toward what I want to do professionally work wise and flight wise and it's a great combination."

Carrozzella graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall in 1976 and the University of Notre Dame four years later. His law degree is from the University of Connecticut Law School. He obtained his pilot's license after completing courses at the Flight Safety International Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., in 1981. He started as an instructor at Meriden-Markham in March 2008.

The novelty of his second job has even earned him a bit of notoriety in the legal profession. The attorney and flight instructor was recently featured in an article in the Connecticut Law Tribune.

Carrozzella's longtime friend Superior Court Judge Terence Zemetis marvels at his energy. Zemetis, a Meriden resident and also a licensed pilot, went to Carrozzella when he needed to renew his certification to fly.

He says Carrozzella has the right personality for the job in that he's serious, but likes to have fun while flying as well.

Flying might have begun as a hobby, but Carrozzella says flight instruction requires extreme focus regardless of other stresses in his life.

"I take both jobs very seriously, he said. "Flying is fun, but people that are learning to fly are spending good money, and I treat them as I would law clients as far as my commitment to professionalism."

He attracts clients of all ages and occupations.

"He was a great instructor to have," said former student Jared Gran. "If there was something I did not understand, he was very patient. He is very thorough in the work that he does."

Most pilots require 60-70 hours to complete training for a private pilot's license, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

For an instructor, the schedule can change on a day-to-day basis depending on the availability of an aircraft or the weather, but despite the job's unpredictability, Carrozzella enjoys flying and flight instruction.

"It allows me to do more fun things and get places in less traditional ways," he said.

"I don't know how he can be a lawyer and a flight instructor," said Zemetis. "He is quite the juggler."

skondracki@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2205