Adventures of a Flying Musician

By Isaac Hill

It’s difficult to describe how influential both music and flying have been in my life. My interest in both started at a young age and are as strong as ever. As I enter my senior year of college as an aerospace engineering major at the University of Tennessee, I look back on how it all started and realize just how fortunate I have been and how many wonderful people and organizations have helped me along the way.

As a fourteenth birthday present, an instructor at Murfreesboro Aviation took me up in a Cessna 152 for my first discovery flight. From that moment, I was hooked and knew I wanted to be a pilot. I was about to embark upon my freshman year in high school and did not think I would be able to achieve that goal any time soon. So I focused my attention on school, playing in the band, and singing in the choir. I also shared with anyone who would listen about my discovery flight experience and my desire to fly.

As coincidence would have it, my choir director’s father was a pilot, and knowing my interest, she shared with me information regarding the Flying Musicians Association’s FMA Solo Scholarship Program. I applied and was honored to be elected as one of the 2017 FMA Solo Scholarship recipients. In addition to the amazing support I received from FMA, Murfreesboro Aviation, where I would train, donated an additional 10 hours of instruction and flight time.

Before beginning my training at Murfreesboro Aviation, I attended the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Aviation Camp. For a week I had the opportunity to fly a Diamond DA-40 and spend time in MTSU’s 360-degree air traffic control simulator. The camp was a great introduction to flight basics.

On July 10, 2017, I received my first lesson at Murfreesboro Aviation. My instructor, Tanner Quigley, was not much older than me, but he had years of experience under his belt and was a great instructor and mentor. Over the following months, I immersed myself in flying and learning more about a wide range of planes. I toured the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN; logged time in a 1928 Ford Tri-Motor 5 AT-B; flew with FMA Ambassador Gary Piper in his 1940 Piper J-3 Cub; and rode in a B-17 Flying Fortress Aluminum Overcast.

As I entered my senior year in high school, I had another important decision to make - college. I opted to stay in my home state to attend the University of Tennessee. UT was a perfect fit because it gave me the opportunity to major in aerospace engineering and to perform with the Pride of the Southland Marching Band. I soloed on February 25, and just a few days later, I passed my audition to join the Pride.

On August 8, 2018, I passed the oral exam and checkride! The next day, I left for college and band camp. It was a whirlwind year.

In 2019, FMA President John Zapp encouraged me to attend AirVenture in Oshkosh and play in the Concert Band.

I had never attended AirVenture, but fortunately a close friend who had been many times, offered to let my Dad and I fly with him to the event. We loaded up in a Tabago TB-12 and took off. The event was amazing and I had the opportunity to meet in person, fellow 2017 FMA Solo Scholarship recipient, Aaron Smokovitz.

The pandemic grounded me for all of 2020. However, I recently dusted off my logbook, completed my BFR, and started a summer internship with Cirrus Aircraft in Knoxville, Tennessee. At the end of my second week on the job I had the opportunity to fly a Cirrus Vision Jet. At 29,000 ft and 377 mph, it was a thrilling experience. Over the course of the summer, I hope to log more time in the Vision Jet and SR series planes.

This fall, I will return to University of Tennessee to continue my studies in aerospace engineering and to march in Pride of the Southland Marching Band. While aviation and music may seem to many an unlikely pair, the practice and precision required of both make them harmonious. For this reason, I am fortunate to have been introduced to the Flying Musicians Association and to have had its support through the years. As I embark upon my career in aviation, I look forward to supporting the FMA and others, who like me, never dreamed they would one day be able to experience the thrill of flying.