People Profile--Third-Generation Pilot Kelly Adams 'Born to Fly'

By Bud Chambers, 'Brenham Banner-Press'

Kelly Adams says he was "born to fly," as his grandfather was a WWII pilot and his dad still flies in aerobatics competitions at age 73. Adams is a Continental Airlines pilot and has been planning his flying career since he was eight years old. He completed the requirement to fly solo across the country at age 16 and earned his pilot's license, then became an instructor by the age of 18, and four months after graduating high school he began flying airplanes for a living, at age 19. His first job was towing ad banners over Fort Lauderdale beaches in a single-engine plane, and then at age 20 he began flying for Bar Harbor Airline. He and his father co-own a single-seat Staudacher aerobatics aircraft, and Kelly recently qualified for the advanced level of the U.S. Aeronautics Team. He says he is looking forward to training and competing regularly and making it into next year's World Aerobatics Championships in Radom, Poland.

December 9, 2009