​Huge congratulations to Troy Cook on earning his Private Pilot License today! This is a huge milestone and a true testament to Troy’s dedication, persistence, and willingness to put in the hard work to achieve his goals. This accomplishment reflects months of discipline and determination, a challenge Troy is used to as a business owner himself.
Outside the cockpit, Troy is a man of many skills, from blacksmithing, carpentry, welding, and commercial fishing to truck driving and ski coaching. He’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, and he brings that same grit and determination to everything he does. He’s also an explorer at heart, always chasing the thrill of seeing new sights. Whether it’s from the cockpit, on skis, a snowmobile, or out on a hiking trail, Troy lives for the adventure. As a business owner and now a licensed pilot, Troy continues to prove that hard work and adventure go hand in hand, and that the sky is only the beginning.
Troy’s journey proves that with hard work, a love for adventure, and the courage to take on new challenges, the sky truly has no limits. A special shoutout as well to his CFI, Lucas Murphy, for guiding him on this journey and helping him reach this achievement! Every great pilot has a great teacher behind them, and today they both share in this achievement. Congratulations again, Troy, the sky is yours!!

Huge congratulations to Sam Clem, who soloed today at KRTS, Runway 26 in N352ME! Sam might say he’s scared of heights, but today he proved that trading cliffs for clouds is a much better view. From takeoff roll to final landing, he climbed higher than nerves could reach and showed that the cockpit is his new summit.
Sam is all about the outdoors. When he’s not in the left seat, you’ll find him rock climbing, skiing, or adventuring through the mountains near his hometown of Quincy. He’s as comfortable on the slopes as he is in the cockpit, carving through turns and navigating new terrain with skill and confidence. And just like a good hike, his solo was all about putting one step (or one circuit) after the other until he reached the top.
With every lap in the pattern, Sam blazed his own trail through the morning skies and planted his flag at one of aviation’s biggest milestones. A huge congratulations as well to his CFI, Greg Anthenien, for the steady guidance and mentorship that helped Sam trade trails and ski tracks for flight paths. Way to go, Sam! You’ve shown that even if heights on a rock wall make you look down, up here in the wide-open sky, the view is worth every climb.

​Before most people have even rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, Alyssa Yerick was already at the airport, preflighting in the dark and getting ready for a milestone morning. Today, Alyssa soloed Runway 32 at KRTS in N352ME! She might drag herself through the door before sunrise, but once she’s in the cockpit, her vision is sharp, her focus is clear, and she’s got the perfect prescription for success.
When she’s not flying, Alyssa is studying to be an optometrist, so it’s no surprise that she knows how to keep her eyes on the horizon. In fact, today she proved she has true aviation “20/20” spot-on landings, steady hands, and the ability to see the big picture even when the nerves kick in.
Alyssa is also a fan of line dancing, so let’s just say she knows her way around steps both on the dance floor and in the traffic pattern. Originally from Las Vegas (you know, the other Nevada), she traded flashing lights, slot machines, and bad Elvis impersonators for UNR, the sound of Lycoming engines, and the kind of odds that are actually worth betting on, three solo takeoffs and three landings.
Huge congratulations also go out to her CFI, Andrew Spanier, for the guidance and encouragement that helped Alyssa hit this milestone.
Congrats, Alyssa! You’ve officially gone from pre-dawn yawns to a logbook solo entry, and your future in aviation looks clearer than a brand-new pair of lenses. This future eye doc just gave us all something to look up to!

​Big congratulations to Shawn Tuckett, who just earned his Private Pilot Certificate in fixed-wing! While Shawn already holds his Commercial Rotorcraft certificate, today he officially joined the “real wings” club and traded in rotor wash for runway lights.
Flying helicopters has its thrills, hovering, autorotations, and all that collective-twisting fun, but we all know life is better with a proper set of wings. In the airplane, Shawn doesn’t have to constantly juggle power, pedals, and pitch just to stay in the air. No more pretending to be a hummingbird, now he can actually cruise, trim it out, and sip some imaginary coffee in straight and level flight.
Of course, his rotorcraft background gave him great stick-and-rudder instincts, but earning a fixed-wing certificate proves Shawn can do it all. He’s conquered both the hover button-mashing world of helicopters and the smooth, efficient world of airplanes.
A huge congratulations as well to his CFI, Andrew Spanier, for guiding Shawn through stalls, slips, and landings that don’t end with skids on the pavement.
Well done, Shawn! You’ve proven you can fly anything with lift, blades or wings, but let’s face it: fixed-wing really is the way to go (at least in our biased opinion ).

​Big shoutout to Ryan Kwan, who just earned his Instrument Rating! That means he’s now certified to fly through the clouds, keep his cool when visibility drops, and let the gauges do the talking. It takes discipline, focus, and plenty of patience to master IFR flying, and Ryan nailed it.
Now, Ryan has been known to say, “when I grow up, I just want to be a hermit in the mountains.” Nice dream, Ryan, but let’s be real, you don’t spend hours perfecting holds, nailing approaches, and briefing procedures just to go live in a cabin with goats. Maybe save the Jeremiah Johnson hermit thing for retirement, because aviation clearly has your name written all over it. You belong in the sky, not hiding in the woods.
Of course, this milestone didn’t come without help, major props to his CFII, Greg Anthenien, who had the joy (and maybe occasional headache) of riding shotgun while Ryan turned “I think I see the runway” into “established on the localizer.” Together, they tackled the clouds, the checklists, and the challenges, and came out with a shiny new rating to prove it.
So congratulations, Ryan! You’ve gone from mountain man daydreams to cloud conqueror reality. The only thing in holding now is your retirement plan, aviation is where you belong.

​Congratulations to Dalton Drum, who took to the skies solo today in N670CS at KRTS, Runway 26! Dalton handled this milestone flight in his signature style, cool, calm, and collected from engine start to shutdown. No drama, no stress, just steady hands, smooth flying, and a quiet confidence that makes him a natural in the cockpit.
Dalton is one of those people who you can’t help but admire. He’s kind, humble, and always approaches his lessons with patience and focus. Nothing rattles him. That calm demeanor carried him through every takeoff and landing today as he wrote his name into the logbook of solo aviators.
And, of course, we can’t skip over the fact that Dalton is a proud lefty. While most pilots fly “by the right,” Dalton proved today that being a southpaw is an advantage in the skies. He’s not only left-handed, he’s also left the ground, left the pattern on his own, and definitely left a mark on all of us here at GBA. It’s safe to say Dalton has the “left seat” covered.
A big congratulations as well to his CFI, James Morgan, for the guidance, patience, and expertise that helped Dalton reach this milestone moment. Way to go, Dalton, your first solo is now officially logged, signed, and stamped in aviation history.