On June 22, EAA employee Chris Gauger, EAA 1281606, soloed in a Cessna 172 at Wittman Regional Airport.
“It was surreal,” Chris said. “With no one in the seat next to me, it was very relaxing.”
Chris, who is EAA’s Young Eagles and chapter programs assistant, has loved aviation since the young age of four, when he attended his first AirVenture. After years of distraction and obstacles, Chris is finally achieving his dream of becoming a pilot 25 years later.
With the help of instructor John Dorcey, EAA 68060, Chris has been training for the last 21 months, with breaks because of the pandemic, for this moment.
“I still have a lot more flight training left before I can get my pilot certificate,” Chris said. “But I’m excited for the rest of this journey, and I’m thankful and humbled to have this amazing opportunity to learn to fly.”
Congratulations, Chris!
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.