A twin tale of the challenge of earning your wings

By ROB STAPLETON

The story of two Vero Beach, Florida, twin boys tells the turbulent tale of the joys and frustrations on the journey to earning a private pilot certificate.

But the twin’s tenacity won out, and Sean and Wells Muraskin both earned their private pilot certificates March 11, 2024, a journey that started when they were just 8 years old.

That journey included eight different CFIs, three different flight schools, mentors in Florida and Alaska, and parents who supported them along the way.

Their first flight was in 2015 when they were just 8 years old, according to their father, Sam.

“That first flight fed their passion to learn to fly,” he remembers.

That interest in aviation was expanded in 2020, as during the pandemic lockdown, the twins posted a video on YouTube “Making a jet engine out of soup cans,” that caught the attention of the FAA Safety Team.

Their passion was fueled even more during a 2021 vacation to Alaska, where the family discovered Acme Cub at the Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage. The boys were looking for the experience of flying a float plane and wanted instructional hours. (Alaska vacation leads to internship for Florida twins)

Flying with Wright Brothers Master Pilot and CFI Terry Cartee, the boys, then 14 years old, each logged 1.5 dual instruction hours and were offered an internship at Acme Cub the following year.

In the summer of 2022, the boys returned to Alaska as interns with Steve Williams at the Lake Hood Seaplane Base. During that time, they flew with Cartee frequently.

“I could have soloed both of those boys then,” said Cartee. “They had a solid foundation of flight skills, radio usage, knowledge of the airspace, and how to fly and dock a float plane. But they were too young.”

Cartee offered to fly to Florida and solo the twins, but they had already scheduled it with a Florida instructor for their 16th birthdays, Jan. 23, 2023.

“We were promised by one of our first instructors that he would solo us on our 16th birthdays, but for an unknown reason he refused,” said Sean Muraskin. “We eventually found a new instructor, and that instructor, who we liked, ended up not being able to find the time required to get us flying enough. Finally, after looking for a few months, we found our current instructor, Bob Frangione, at a small flying school and continued instruction until we soloed on Sept. 3, 2023.”

Both boys had over 70 hours of dual time before their solo flights: Wells logged 73.9 hours and Sean 72.4 hours.

After their solos, the twins did not waste time, continuing to fly the needed requirements: Cross countries, night flying, and more.

They also found another mentor closer to home, Wright Brothers Master Pilot Skip Wood, 87, who meets with the boys weekly.

Although Wood is no longer flying, the twins “adopted” him and enjoy his stories of past aeronautical adventures, according to their father. Wood, who is well connected to the aviation community and deeply passionate about teaching young students, also takes the boys on “field trips” to see friends of his with interesting businesses or unusual airplanes.

During this time, the twins studied for the written exam using the course from Sporty’s, all while juggling their normal course load at Indian River Charter High School and taking dual enrollment classes at a local community college.

They also found time to start an aviation club at their high school, which has attracted a group of students, including many who have expressed an interest in aviation as a career, according to Sean.

The effect the twins had on their schoolmates even spread to the school’s principal, whose son took an interest in aviation and was able to join the boys and their instructor for a flight.

After the twins passed their written tests in October 2023, their parents began the search for a Designated Pilot Examiner for them to take their check rides on their 17th birthdays, Jan. 23, 2024.

The tests were scheduled months in advance, according to the twins’ father, noting he and his wife wanted to ensure the boys could get their check rides on their birthday since they were so disappointed to not be able to solo on their 16th birthdays.

Meanwhile the young student pilots were again looking for a new instructor because the CFI they were using did not want to do their night flying requirement with them.

Luckily, their instructor was able to connect the twins with Graham DeVito, a student at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne and an experienced pilot and CFI, who agree to fly the cross-country night flights.

“I flew at night in Class C airspace with a new instructor,” Wells said. “We did several landings, and the flight went very well.”

Once all the specified tests, instruction, and flight hours were completed, Sean and Wells were looking forward to their check rides in January.

But despite their parents’ efforts to secure an appointment months in advance of their birthdays, the DPE cancelled the check rides — with no explanation.

The next date set by the examiner was for Feb. 20, but high winds cancelled the flight tests. A new date was set for March 1, 2024. Wells completed his oral exam on that date, but his check ride was cancelled due to a mechanical issue. Evidently the rented Cessna 172 they were to use for the check ride had a faulty rotating beacon. The remainder of the examinations — Wells’ check ride and Sean’s oral exam and check ride — were cancelled and moved to March 11.

The DPE also discovered that Sean’s solo cross country flight was five miles short of the distance needed. So, another flight would be needed and logged before the flight test.

Sean completed the added requirement by doing a solo flight from Vero Beach Regional Airport (KVRB) to Page Field (KFMY) in Fort Myers and back, 116 miles each way.

Worth the Wait

March 11 finally came. Wells was up first. Once he passed his check ride, Sean started his oral exam. He later did his check ride.

When he landed a crowd of airport onlookers familiar with the boys’ story cheered for the twins who had worked together, as always, to obtain their dreams.

The best prize: The twins enjoyed root beer floats, a tradition they learned from Terry Cartee and Acme Cub in Alaska. Back in Alaska when Cartee heard that Wells and Sean had earned their wings, he followed suit and drank a root beer float in their honor.

Now that the twins have earned their private pilot certificates they say this is “just the beginning” of their aviation adventures.

They eventually want to return to Alaska and fly floatplanes, and both plan on careers in aviation. Sean’s interest is in the jet charter business, while Wells is interested in search and rescue.

Now that the family has two pilots, the next order of business for mom and dad is to buy an airplane.

“We found a really nice Cessna 175 that has been hangared and recently had an annual inspection,” Sam reported.

As for the twins? Work has already begun on their instrument ratings.