Pilot goes from air to space

By AOPA ePublishing staff

Col. Eric A. Boe, a pilot on the space shuttle "Endeavour," credits the Civil Air Patrol with helping him to achieve his career goals of becoming a fighter pilot and an astronaut. Boe is a former Georgia Wing cadet and current Florida Wing member. He soloed at 16 at a flight encampment conducted by the Georgia Wing and credits his cadet experience for solidifying his desire to fly.

“That was my first real opportunity to fly an airplane by myself,” he said. “CAP gave me that opportunity, and it really made a difference in the long term. It's always nice to have flown before you show up at pilot training.” The shuttle, which launched on Nov. 14, is scheduled for a 15-day mission involving repair work at the International Space Station, with four planned spacewalks.

November 17, 2008