Pathway: Ethan Coll

By Ethan Coll

Vroom! I looked up from the car I was cleaning to see the airplane that was flying overhead. It was a Cessna 172 with the sun reflecting off its wings, immediately bringing back memories of how my voyage in aviation started.

Unlike a lot of fellow aviators, I am a first-generation pilot. It all started on my fifteenth birthday when I was given an airplane ride in a friend’s seaplane. After that flight, I was hooked, but I didn’t have any way of paying for flight instruction. After all, I was a fifteen- year-old in high school! No one told me that I couldn’t become a pilot at that age, so I spent half the money I had ($150) on my first hour of flight instruction and the other half on some car-detailing supplies. I started a mobile detailing business and mainly detailed cars for friends and family to pay for my flight training. Also, I cut grass, pulled weeds, cleaned gutters, pressure-washed driveways, doing anything I could do to earn money for flight training. Was it easy? NO! But, my passion to fly drove me to have discipline and work hard. On my sixteenth birthday, all the hard work paid off when I soloed in Cessna N64228 on grass runway 36 at Eagles Nest Aerodrome (FD44).

The following year was slow for me as I worked toward my check-ride and finished high school. There were times when I felt like quitting, but had to remember that slow, steady progress is better than fast, daily excuses. On my seventeenth birthday, I took my check-ride and became a private pilot!

With my goal of becoming a pilot reached, I decided to take a break from flight training so l could focus on finishing high school well. At the same time, a friend started encouraging me to think about building my own airplane. The thought had never crossed my mind because I thought a person had to be a mechanic to build an airplane. After doing some research, I realized that the average person can build an airplane if he or she has above-average determination. I looked for airplane designs that would fit my needs, and eventually decided on building the Affordaplane, a scratch-built, high-wing, tail-wheel airplane that can be built as an ultralight or as an experimental aircraft. The bolt-together design had no welding requirements, which was important to me as a novice builder.

In the summer of 2021, I was able to take the first steps of the project that I named “Raising Wings”. I had a good working space, most of the tools that I needed, and enough materials to frame the fuselage. I started a website fundraiser and Facebook page to document my build so that people could follow its progress. In the months following my graduation from high school, I had the opportunity to expand my business as I continued to work toward building the airplane.

Sadly, before I could start the project, the friend that had inspired me passed away after a long fight with cancer, leaving me to dedicate the project to his memory. Even though he left a big gap in our community, there have been others that joined to support my vision. It was during that time period that Young Aviators of America asked me to become their Vice President of Business Development. As this promising non-profit takes off, I am excited to be on board to encourage youth in flight!

For the young person who wants to get into the world of aviation, here are some key thoughts from my journey:

Time, Passion, and Relationships

A flight instructor once told me the three things you need to succeed in aviation are Time, Passion, and Relationships: NOT MONEY. I have remembered this as I worked toward my aviation goals. Money IS important, don’t get me wrong, but don’t focus on it. When you focus on these three things, I think you will find, as l have, that your dreams start becoming a reality!

Discipline equals freedom

Always remember that dreams don’t come true by just thinking about them. We must be disciplined in our day-to-day lives. This means working when your friends are partying on the weekend, studying all night for that written exam, and doing odd jobs for people. It WILL pay off!

Never quit!

It is not easy! The path to your aviation goals is a hard one! When it gets challenging, as it will, don’t quit! If you fail a test, get back up and try again! We must always work with the end in mind. In my detailing work, when I clean a car, I try not to think of it as just making money, but as one step closer to finishing my airplane.

Get after it!

That airplane isn’t going to build itself! Your pilot certificate isn’t going to simply appear one day in your wallet! It takes consistent action to move forward.

I hope my story has been an inspiration to you. Please follow my project as I try to give weekly motivation to keep us moving forward toward our goals!