By Gary Ludeke, EAA 199851
This is a story about an 18-year-old young man, Jakin Messer, EAA 1293775, who is very passionate about having a career as an airline pilot. He recently reached his first goal and is now a private pilot. In order to get to this point, several people from local EAA Chapter 31 (Creswell, Oregon) and Chapter 1457 (Eugene, Oregon) were involved in the process.
Jakin’s passion for flying was kindled when he took his first Young Eagles flight at the Hobby Field Airport (77S) located in Creswell, Oregon, in August 2018. The flight was given by EAA Chapter 31 Secretary Randy Stout, EAA Lifetime 184723, in his J-3 Cub. When the flight ended he knew he wanted to be a pilot and immediately took advantage of the free Sporty’s Pilot Shop Private Pilot Ground School Course. He also joined Chapter 31 and, later, Chapter 1457, where he immediately became an active participant in many of the chapter’s activities. He also met chapter member Alan Weider, who built and flies a beautiful well-equipped Van’s RV-9A. Alan took Jakin on his second Young Eagles flight where, after getting some “stick time” and seeing Alan’s full IFR glass cockpit, Jakin decided he wanted to be an airline pilot. Jakin’s parents, seeing their son’s intense interest in flying, gave him a somewhat sophisticated flight simulator for Christmas. Using the simulator, Jakin developed some pretty advanced instrument skills, particularly for a 12-year-old!
Once a member of Chapter 31, Jakin met fellow member Pat O’Renick, who owns and flies a 1963 Cessna 150 that he hangars at Hobby Field. By coincidence, Jakin’s mother, Shaomai, also worked for Pat, assisting him and his wife in the operation of a senior assisted living center in their home town. Seeing Jakin’s intense interest in learning to fly, but also knowing Shaomai, Pat realized that the cost of obtaining a private pilot certificate could be beyond the means of the Messer family. Pat told Jakin that he could use the Cessna 150 for flight training and only pay for the fuel used up until the time he was ready for solo. At that point the Messer family would be expected to pay the insurance cost differential due to a student pilot flying the airplane.
I have been a part-time CFI for 38 years and, in the fall of 2022, Pat talked to me about my willingness to instruct Jakin in the Cessna 150. I said I would do it free of charge because of Jakin’s financial situation. I am a retired professional engineer and, while charging a typical or slightly lower hourly rate than that of a full-time instructor, I teach for the satisfaction and fun of creating safe and competent pilots. I told Pat that, since he was giving Jakin a very significant break in the cost of using an airplane, I would provide my services free of charge.
I began Jakin’s private pilot flight instruction when he was 16 years old in October 2022. On June 24, 2023, Jakin made his first solo flight after logging 13.4 hours of dual instruction. He probably could have soloed about five hours sooner but he had to wait until he could pay the insurance differential. By December 2023, we had covered all the tasks that are a part of the Private Pilot Airman Certification Standards (ACS) except for night flight.
During the course of Jakin’s training, the original electric turn and bank indicator in the C-150 failed. Pat set out to see if he could find a used replacement instrument. As luck would have it, Randy had purchased a Piper Super Cub and had the panel upgraded. The modern electric turn coordinator was removed during the upgrade and Randy was going to sell it. I asked Randy how much he wanted for it and, when I told him it was for Pat’s C-150, Randy gave it to him for free because of Pat’s generous loan of the airplane to Jakin!
I elected to wait to begin Jakin’s night training until the shortest times of daylight so we could start flying as early as possible. However, the Creswell airport is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, which experiences frequent ground fog during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. It is wise to watch the temperature-dew point spreads very carefully before and during night flight. We remained in the traffic pattern for the first flight with the intention of doing a number of takeoffs and full-stop landings. However, after the second landing we had to abort the training due to rapidly forming ground fog! The second night good VFR conditions remained while we did a series of takeoffs and full-stop landings and were ready to do the required night cross-country flight.
The Willamette Valley has higher terrain and mountains to the east, west, and south. For this reason I prefer to remain in the valley to conduct student night cross-country flying. We were on standby for a number of nights waiting to conduct the flight but the threat of ground fog remained. The Cessna that Jakin was flying is a strictly VFR airplane and I didn’t relish the thought of getting stuck due to a required or precautionary landing at an airport away from home and needing to get someone to drive out and pick us up!
I contacted a former private pilot student of mine, Steve Boulton, EAA 552249, who eventually became a CFI and CFII and started a flight school based at the Eugene Airport (KEUG). He’s also a member of Chapter 1457. Since Steve’s training aircraft is an IFR-equipped Cessna 172, I asked him if he would give Jakin his night cross-country training. This was because, if fog developed, he could file IFR and safely get back to KEUG or an alternate. Steve provided this training for free and the weather stayed good VFR. Steve also limited his charge to the cost of fuel for the flight. Since I was the only CFI that had flown with Jakin, I asked Steve if he would give Jakin a full flight and ground review and, if he found him competent, sign him off for his Private Pilot Practical Test.
Creswell Airport-based Viper Aviation, owned by Darrin Humble, had been doing Pat’s annual inspections and repair work on the C-150 for several years. To help Pat keep his costs down, Darrin offered to do these inspections for free and only charge him for labor and materials required beyond the base annual cost. A condition of this offer was that Jakin would assist Darrin in doing the work. A win-win situation as Pat saved money and Jakin learned a lot about aircraft maintenance issues.
On June 6, 2024, Jakin passed his practical test after flying with Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) Joe May, EAA 551137. Joe is a member of Chapter 1457 and substantially reduced the examination fee. Several members of both Chapter 31 and 1457 contributed enough money to cover the DPE fee.
While pursuing flight training, Jakin actively pursued aviation training scholarships. On June 15, 2024, at the Chapter 31 monthly fly-in breakfast, he was surprised by an official of the Oregon Pilots Association (OPA) who came to the event and awarded him a $2,000 scholarship. Jakin is now in Ogden, Utah, at the Cornerstone Aviation Flight School where, on August 5, 2024, he started his career training to become an airline pilot.