Loop For The Troops

By Luke Pylypciw

My name is Luke Pylypciw and I am a 17-year-old private pilot based in Upstate New York. At age 14, I was like every other high school freshman; I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. For my 15th birthday, I was given a discovery flight from a family friend who is a corporate pilot and CFII. After my first flight at the Goodrich Pilot Training Center, I was hooked and quickly fell in love with aviation, officially commencing my flying journey. The following months were a critical period of time which only intensified my excitement for flying. After a busy year of training, creating a YouTube channel, and becoming involved in the industry through various volunteering opportunities, I successfully soloed for the first time on my 16th birthday. This accomplishment further deepened my passion and it was at this point I knew I wanted to become a pilot and pursue flying as a career. For six months, I was able to fly an airplane alone but still couldn’t drive myself to the airport. After another year of training and studying for my FAA exams, I passed my written, oral, and practical exam and became a licensed private pilot as soon as the FAA would allow me: on my 17th birthday.

Since achieving this license, I have worked tirelessly to come up with a way to use my passion to make the world a better place, which has led me to this point. I am incredibly proud to partner with Hope For The Warriors (HOPE) to present Loop For The Troops. On April 8th, 2022, I will be departing Binghamton, New York, and flying a 1977 Mooney M20J around the eastern half of the United States. Along my route, I will be stopping to meet with veterans organizations to spread joy, shake the hands of our country’s heroes, and shed light on a topic that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. I will be at events such as Sun ‘n Fun where supporters of the trip can engage in our mission. We have set a goal to raise $15,000 to donate to HOPE and as of February, 2022, are already halfway there. This flight is so much more than a loop around the country; it also represents the tremendous things you can achieve at a young age. I hope that along with raising money for a good cause, I can inspire other young people to find what they love, dream big, and do everything in their power to make that a reality. The idea of success varies depending on who you ask, but in my eyes, success is defined by achieving a state of happiness where you wake up everyday excited about what you do. That is the feeling I have had since getting involved with aviation and I encourage anyone who has the slightest interest in flying to learn more. For any young, prospective pilot reading this, I urge you to always carry yourself in a professional, ambitious manner, be open to learning new skills, stay humble, and enjoy the process.

Regarding my flying journey over the past few months, I have enjoyed taking family and friends flying with me to help them understand and appreciate the world of general aviation. I continue to create weekly content for my YouTube channel where I aim to inspire the next generation of professional pilots. This trip is a continuation of my exploration into the industry, and I couldn’t be more proud to represent an organization like HOPE. Learning to fly gives you a unique perspective of the world most people don’t get to experience, so it is my mission to share that with others. As far as what my future holds, I don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. I am currently a junior in high school, and after graduation I hope to attend the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, to study Aviation Management With Flight. I have aspirations of flying the world’s most coveted corporate aircraft and dream of traveling the world.

If you’d like to donate to our cause, please visit www. loopforthetroops.org and click the “Donate” button in the upper right hand corner of the screen. If you would still like to support this journey but are unable to financially, sharing Loop For The Troops with your friends and on social media is just as helpful! After the trip is complete, a full, high quality video series will be released on my YouTube channel which you can find by simply searching my name on YouTube.

Finally, I’d like to thank Young Aviators, Inc, DJP Financial, Flying Eyes Optics, and the dozens of donors on the GoFundMe page. Without your generosity, thus far, this trip would not be a possibility and I cannot wait to show the world the impact a small donation has on so many lives.

See you in the sky.