For my STEP signature project, I completed part of the training for my private pilot’s certificate. I flew at Capital City Aviation, a flight school at the Ohio State Airport! I used this project as a supplement to my training and utilized other scholarships and support for the other sections of training.

Getting my flight license has been a long process to say the least. When I was really young, I was terrified of heights and of flying. When I was 13, I went on my first airplane ride. I cried the entire way through the airport and even right before takeoff. However, as the airplane took off, my fear was gone and I was in awe of flying. From then on I have always wanted to be a pilot!

After joining an airplane club in high school and completing the ground school portion in my spare time, finally getting behind the wheel (The yoke) of an airplane felt like a huge and exciting accomplishment. The project was really eye opening by showing me how some goals take lots of determination and effort to work. It strengthened my confidence, and inspired to pursue my other ambitions.

Part of my flight training that will be invaluable moving forward is that I joined the aviation community. The people involved with flight training and flying are very like-minded and supportive, and I have made several connections and friendships along the way. It feels great to be part of the aviation community especially because this will help me as I begin my aerospace career.

While I experienced this success, I also encountered several road blocks that impacted my transformation. One of these problems was the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic brought many aspects of life around the globe to a halt, and flight training was no exception. The downside to this is that the longer flight training takes to complete, the more money is costs and the more effort a student need put in re-learning material or refining flying skills. I had to take a several month hiatus to go back home to be with my family, and there was a large learning curve to encounter once I returned. Regardless, I felt more determined than ever to finish my training and reap the benefits of my STEP project.

Finally, the part of my training that led to the best rewards was completing several components of the “training checklist.” One requirement for every pilot’s training is completing their first solo flight. This of course sounds obvious, but the impact of controlling an aircraft alone without a co-pilot present for the first time is daunting and exhilarating to say the least. Moments like this along with power-off landings, simulated stall maneuvers, cross-wind takeoffs, and more have forced me to suppress my nerves and remember all of the training I had before that moment. These milestones have transformed me into a pilot.

This project has provided a lot of valuable experiences that I will draw upon during my future endeavors. It showed me that lofty goals are achievable with hard work and support, and gave me lots of enjoyable memories. For my career as an aerospace engineer, flight training highlights the real-life applications of aircraft design and regulatory practices that I need to understand thoroughly. I will continue to build on my flight training and enjoy all of what the skies have to offer.