Congratulations, William C. Buck III, EAA Lifetime 884321, on his recent graduation from the United States Army Flight School.
William graduated and received his wings as an aeromedical evacuation officer on February 27, 2020. His love of aviation comes from his father and grandfather. His father, Bill Buck, EAA Lifetime 485158, gave him his first airplane ride in a Maule M-5 and encouraged him to participate in EAA’s Young Eagles program. William completed his initial Young Eagles flight with EAA Chapter 677 member Dorinda Morpeth, EAA 637300, in April 2004.
William went on to earn his private pilot certificate and joined the United States Army after graduating from The Citadel, a military college in South Carolina. He continued to participate in his home chapter, flying Young Eagles alongside Dorinda and his father. He flew his 114th Young Eagle during EAA’s Chattahoochee Valley Chapter Rally in November 2019.
“[Graduation] was kind of surreal … from all those years ago making it as a Young Eagle all the way this far,” William said. “I always had the dream of being a military pilot, and being able to finally see that come to fruition is pretty surreal.”
William and his wife, Lindsey, are now assigned to Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii, where he will fly in the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade.
He said he highly encourages youth interested in aviation to take advantage of the Young Eagles program.
“The Young Eagles program was a great start; at the time my dad and grandfather were not active pilots, but my dad took me out to the Young Eagles [event] and I was able to go up on a flight, and that was a great intro back into aviation from being around it as a kid,” William said.
Have you reached a milestone recently? Passed a checkride, given your first or hundredth Young Eagles flight, flown your homebuilt for the first time? Tell us about it at EAA.org/submissions.