Getting my certificate this young is a reminder of the determination and effort I put into the flight training process. Had it not been for my dad (an instrument-rated pilot); my CFIs, Brad Whitcomb and Chris Gcrevich; and my family, the process would’ve been much more difficult.
Name: Mary Logan
Age: 17
Event: Passed private pilot checkride
Where: Buchanan Field Airport (CCR), Concord, California
Airplane: Cessna 150 Aerobat
Getting my certificate this young is a reminder of the determination and effort I put into the flight training process. Had it not been for my dad (an instrument-rated pilot); my CFIs, Brad Whitcomb and Chris Gcrevich; and my family, the process would’ve been much more difficult. My dad always reminded me that flight training is not linear, and I certainly had my share of learning experiences. One key moment was pre-solo; I couldn’t “kiss the runway” or claim the sight picture as my own. My dad took me out, and he said, “If you need to log 20 more hours of practice time, that’s fine. We’ll get you there.”
The checkride itself went very well. The oral portion was completed as scheduled, but we had to discontinue the practical because of IFR conditions. The following weekend, the winds were calm, and I knew it was my day to become a private pilot. My dad and I have a tradition of flying together before a momentous aviation event. We’d flown together before my first solo, and now pre-checkride. I also wore his first pair of David Clark’s that we agreed had extra “mojo.” By the time I received one of the best handshakes of my life, I couldn’t believe I was no longer a student pilot. It’s an awesome feeling being a female pilot at 17, but this is only the beginning. Now that I’ve got my “license to learn,” I want to get checked out in some new aircraft, and then go on to my instrument training. I plan to make a career out of aviation, but, most important, I want to use general aviation to serve others. I’m already signed up to be my dad’s mission assistant for Angel Flight. My advice to student pilots: Keep at it. You are always much closer to the end result than you realize, and it’s the hard times that make the great times happen.
Name: Michael Perron
Age: 61
Event: Passed private pilot checkride
Where: Cyril E. King Airport (TIST), St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Airplane: Cessna 172
When I turned 60 I said I wanted to learn to fly. It took me 59 hours and exactly one year. I did my checkride on my sixty-first birthday and got my license. I’m a successful 61-year-old businessman with all the confidence in the world, yet when I went on my checkride, I was as nervous as when I went on my first date. To all the student pilots out there, relax. Your examiner is not the bad guy. He wants to make sure you will be a safe pilot. To all you old dogs out there, you really can be taught new tricks. Believe me, it’ll make you feel like a puppy again. Learning to fly gave me many wonderful first-time experiences.
I bought my flight instructor a nice bottle of champagne to say thank you. This should be a new regulation in the FARs. Your instructor sets your habits and patterns for the future and should be thanked.
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