Name: Bob Coverdill
Age: 60
Event: Private pilot checkride
Where: University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI), Willard, Illinois
Airplane: Cessna 172
Yesterday at the University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI), I fulfilled a lifelong dream: to become a licensed private pilot! I could not have done this without the support of many people: Bill Rudolphi, a close friend who let me use his venerable Skyhawk; Andy Schneider, my outstanding instructor; my wife, Celeste Mellett Coverdill; and my examiner, David Boyd. Flight Training magazine has also been a tremendous resource, which I look forward to receiving every month. Being just a few months shy of 60 years old, this is an accomplishment in which I take tremendous pride. I am looking forward to the next phase of my flying ‘career,’ including many visits to family and friends. Also on tap may be the building of an RV–9A!”
Name: Jarrod Maleno
Age: 42
Event: Solo
Where: Erie International Airport (ERI), Erie, Pennsylvania
Airplane: Piper Archer
I decided to stay in the airplane! I started skydiving more than 20 years ago and have accumulated thousands of skydives out of a multitude of aircraft types. A vast majority of them have been from the step of a Cessna 182. I have always enjoyed sitting up front and watching the pilots work as they give us our one-way ride to jump altitude. As long as I can remember I’ve been fascinated with aviation and curious about flight (with or without an airplane). One day I decided to see what it was like to try and sit in that pilot seat, and decided to sign up for flying lessons. Thanks to a great school and an awesome CFI, I just completed my first solo and am so excited about obtaining my private pilot certificate.”
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