By AMELIA T. REIHELD
SUN ’n FUN’s contagious aviation joy can claim another recruit to the ranks.
Logan Honea has been to every SUN ’n FUN since the year he was born. Sixteen years after his first trip to Lakeland, he soloed on his birthday, and last week, just past his 17th birthday, he earned his license.
“I’m probably the youngest private pilot at SUN ’n FUN this year,” he guessed.
That’s not too shabby, considering that the Canton, Georgia, teenager also found time to be on his high school’s varsity football and wrestling teams all four years, and is president of his high school’s senior class.
“I’ve just always had the flying bug,” he admitted. “I just love everything about it.”
Especially the sensation of speed, it would seem.
“The best thing,” Logan vows, “is flying low approaches. There’s just no better feeling than when you’re close to the runway flying as fast as the airplane will go, zooming by the hangars and trees.”
Neither of his older siblings caught that bug, but it’s safe to surmise they’ll be among his first passengers. He has a list of buddies waiting for their turn in the right seat of the family’s Cessna 172, but the newly-minted aviator hasn’t had a chance to exercise his privileges. After all, before the ink was dry on his temporary certificate, the family was headed for Logan’s 17th SUN ’n FUN.
Logan plans to study history and political science at college, but hasn’t made up his mind whether to stay in Georgia at Valdosta State or head for Texas A&M. He hopes to someday fly for the Air Force or Navy, (anything but drones, he shudders) and to nobody’s surprise, would very much like to fly faster than the speed of sound.
Gerald, lighten up. The kid’s accomplishment should be celebrated, not nitpicked
Nice story. Did he really earn his license. That would be a first since the FAA has never issued a LICENSE, only pilot certificates. C’mon.