By Clinton Summers, EAA 1388668
I recently completed my private pilot checkride with Mr. Henry L. Joyner, EAA 9025056, at Tri-County Airport (KASJ) in Ahoski, North Carolina. In high school, I accumulated about 7 hours of dual instruction toward my private pilot certificate but never finished. I joined the Marine Corps right out of high school and spent the next 24 years on active duty. I was a UH-1N and UH-1Y crew chief and logged 1,500 hours in the aircraft, and managed to finish both bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but never pursued my private pilot certificate any further. Now six years after I retired I am finally finished, I completed my checkride the day before the Marine Corps’ birthday. I’m enrolled in Liberty University’s Professional Pilot Program with the goal of becoming a CFI through the flight affiliate program at Tradewinds Flight Services in New Bern, North Carolina.
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.