By Lorance Morrison, EAA 1288214
I first got interested in aviation at a very young age because my dad is a pilot. I used to fly with my dad as a kid and it was in the same plane that I am training in now.
My instructor took me for my Young Eagles flight. Ever since then, I would help out at my airport. I would help by cleaning the taxiway off and just making sure that there were no problems around the airport (57D and EAA Chapter 13).
I always wanted to fly with my dad. Any chance I got to go out and fly, I would take it. I always loved being in the air and just looking down. When I started flight lessons I loved flying the plane. It just felt right when I was flying. When my solo came around I was nervous just like anyone else but I knew that I could do it. My instructor had faith that I would do perfect and I did great for my first solo and I loved every second of it.
For my solo I was in a Cessna 172 XP. The conditions were partly sunny with very little wind. I was fine when I started taxiing, but when I looked and saw an empty seat to the right of me I got a little nervous. As soon as I made the call and turned on the runway all of those fears went away. I just flew the plane and the first landing was good. When I was on the ground I saw the empty seat and just laughed. After the other two landings, I pulled up to the fuel pumps and saw my mom. She drove all the way from Detroit to watch me do my solo. I felt proud of myself for doing this at such a young age.
I got my driver’s license the day before I soloed and I carry a 3.9 GPA at my college prep school, De La Salle Collegiate.
I will keep doing the best I can and all I can do is wait to turn 17 to get my full pilot certificate. I will be going to college to pursue aviation and my dream is to fly for FedEx. I am lucky that I know what I want to do with my life because it is hard to know what you want to do for the rest of your life, especially at this age.
Have you reached a milestone recently? Passed a checkride, given your first or hundredth Young Eagle flight, flown your homebuilt for the first time? Tell us about it at editorial@eaa.org.