NAME: Tomas Babuska
AGE: 17
EVENT: First powered solo
WHERE: Alexander Municipal Airport (E80), Belen, New Mexico
AIRPLANE: Piper Cherokee 140
I originally started flying in gliders about a year and a half ago because I wanted to learn to fly as soon as possible, and powered flight lessons were quite a bit more expensive than glider lessons. My parents required that I turn 16 before taking any kind of flight lessons and that I pay for at least half of my training—the first half. My glider instructors at Moriarty Airport are really great, and I have been able to work at the airport to partially offset the cost of learning to fly. In August 2012 I successfully became a private pilot with a glider rating. At the beginning of 2013 I began powered flight training and after only six hours I soloed! Soloing so quickly really means a lot to me because I see how much I have progressed overall and how much the glider experience helped me.
When flying solo in the sky I know it is where I belong. My glider training and amazing instructors helped immensely in my training. I am now working toward getting my private pilot single-engine airplane certification and am on track to finish by the time I turn 18 in March! I intend to pursue a career in aviation, hopefully as a pilot.
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