Forget a Sweet Sixteen party. Wyatt Angel of Mount Airy, N.C., spent his 16th birthday doing something way more fun — flying 11 airplanes solo at the Mount Airy-Surry County Airport (KMWK), then making his way to the Piedmont Soaring Society in nearby Farmington, where he soloed three gliders. He hopes his birthday celebration will win […]
Solo
Star in your own solo video
Thousands of pilots are flying with compact video cameras like the GoPro or Garmin VIRB, using them to record first solos or memorable flights. But once the flight is over, many pilots don’t know what to do next — how do you edit and share what you recorded? Sporty’s professional video production team has introduced […]
16 year old’s solo captured by local TV news
What a cool story! Sierra Patterson soloed on her 16th birthday and the local television station was there to capture it — complete with a proud dad, worried mom and a very excited young girl. Check it out here. And Congratulations Sierra!
16-year-old solos 10 airplanes in one day, sets world record
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. – Nathan “Nate” Bruss turned 16 years old on Friday, August 16. He celebrated by soloing 10 different aircraft from Flying Cloud Airport. “The day went great,” said Nate Bruss via email. “The wind picked up towards the afternoon and I had a 5 kt crosswind component, but it was within my […]
Kitson wins First-to-Solo challenge
During the 2013 Women Of Aviation Worldwide Week — March 4-10 — that attracted more than 17,000 girls and women to air and space facilities across four continents, pilots flew balloons, ultralights, airplanes, seaplanes, and helicopters to introduce 5,316 girls and women to the magic of flight in a small aircraft with the hope to […]
Solo celebrations
How many people do you know who took flying lessons but never made it to first solo? Probably a great many. Solo is the first major step in what is a often a long journey to becoming a pilot. The folks at Sporty’s Academy, in Batavia, Ohio, recognize this, and go all-out when a client […]
Different cultures, different customs
In response to our request for photos of shirt tails being cut after first solo, Zenith Aircraft’s Sebastien Heintz responded with: “Different cultures commemorate the solo flight in different ways. Here’s a video clip from Thailand from one of our customers.” Also, it’s not too late to send in photos from your first solo and […]
Wanted: Photos of your shirt tail being cut after your first solo
As part of our upcoming Learn to Fly issue, we’re looking for photos from readers of the celebrations following their first solo and the cutting of their shirt tails. Send them to [email protected]
A memorable week at Sporty’s flight school
BATAVIA, Ohio — Ideal fall weather in the Midwest made for a memorable week of first solos and certificates at Sporty’s Academy at Clermont County Airport (I69). During Thanksgiving week, Sporty’s celebrated four first solos, two private pilot certifications, two commercial pilot certifications and a Certified Flight Instructor certificate. “We couldn’t be more pleased with […]