My Testimony of Flight Academy

By Connor Lane

One day, I was notified by my mother of a flight academy program that was being offered on social media by the Air Force. I was in a Navy JROTC program, but it made no difference during the selection process. I had never heard of a program like this before, so I was intrigued. I thought that my school administration would post something, but they didn’t. So, I applied for this program and talked to Chief Goldstrom, amazed with this very competitive program. I continued to study hard, knowing that no one, to my knowledge, out of my local area had been selected for a prestigious program such as this. Around 2 months passed, when I received an email stating that I was selected! I was absolutely ecstatic of the news and told my entire family, along with my NJROTC instructor, Commander Kast, who wrote a letter to my principal. It was very groundbreaking news for the community; I was put on our school’s TV that broadcasts news to anyone who looks at it. I was then told by my principal that I was going to be recognized by the Harrison County Board of Education. When I got to the Board of Education, I shook the Vice President’s hand, was awarded a certificate of achievement, and had my picture taken. The next day, I was on the front of the local paper and included on some social media sites, which made me feel as if I was a celebrity. At this point, I realized how high-speed the program is.

June 4th was the day we arrived on campus to begin our training. We unpacked and gathered our gear to begin studying for the next day. In the morning, we were introduced to how the program was going to work and who our instructors were. Once we were introduced to the staff, we were issued books, a headset, a logbook and a flight bag. Without hesitation, we were assigned with our instructor to learn how to preflight an airplane through the checklist and what each part of the airplane is called. I was told to read about the first flight that I was scheduled to take the next day. This was such a shock to me as it was only the third day at the academy, and I was already in an airplane, learning how to fly. I flew at 0800 hours, so I was one of the first ones to fly. During takeoff roll, I had a grin that grew from ear to ear the further I got off the ground. It was amazing to feel the sensation of flying when we lifted off the ground that I had been planted to for 18 years. Once I got back to the ground, my instructor told me to study for the next lesson and the lesson after that as we always want to stay ahead because of the weather. We flew everyday, and studied everyday, waking up at 0530, and going to bed at 2300. We got to the hangar at 0730, and left at 2000. Sleep wasn’t hard to worry about as I was too busy to worry about being tired; but, when I did sit down somewhere alone, it was hard to keep my eyes open. Everyday was something new. It would be a new flight maneuver or environment to fly into, such as the nighttime sky, the most stressful but also the coolest part of flying, in my opinion. I was always studying to get a great grade on the written exam, which was the next big goal. So, I studied every day, taking lots of practice tests daily, always trying to get at least an 85% score. Less than that would not be good enough.

Eventually, the day came for us to take our test. With all the studying I gained, in the back of my mind, I knew I only had one shot to take the test. If I failed, I wouldn’t graduate in time. As you can tell, I did not fail. I got an 88% on my written exam, and I was very happy about that score.

Now, the ultimate goal of the course is to pass the check-ride, be proficient in the plane, and pass the oral exam. At Fairmont, we trained harder than the check-ride would be, so that the exam would be a cakewalk. The check ride was nerve-racking, but with all my training, it all came together. I calmed down, and just did what I was trained to do: be a safe, professional pilot representing the academy and everyone at the program. Once I landed after the check ride, it felt sensational! It was an honor to shake the Designated Pilot Examiner’s hand, and to hear him tell me that I was a certified Private Pilot. What a journey! I can hardly describe it on a piece of paper.