Jeffrey Helf is a private pilot! His training and checkride took place back east, but he is still part of the GBA family. He flew a few flights with CFI Grant Muzzio to prep while he was in town last week for a bowling tournament. Jeffrey has been plagued by weather delays back east too and found a window here to sneak in some last-minute prep. We are so happy for Jeffrey and hope to see him back here soon renting the beloved C172 for some Lake Tahoe sightseeing adventures. Congratulations!!

Check it out here: ​https://www.greatbasinaviation.com/uploads/1/1/6/9/116972274/gba_spring_2023_newsletter_.pdf

​Noah Klein is a soloed pilot!! KRNO, runway 17L will always hold a special spot in Noah’s training as that was the spot for his first logged PIC time! Flying solo for this Frat Boy was definitely not Greek. He managed the controls just as well as he manages his college studies…which is with complete focus ;) Despite yesterday being an overindulging holiday, Noah told the Frat bruhs “no” and focused on his flights today. And look what came of his responsible decision! Even though he looked pretty beat up due to a busted blood vessel in his eye (does not change his vision), he was cool, calm, and collected for his memorable flight. When Noah is not mastering his keg stand, he is hard at work with his flight studies, college courses, living the Greek life, and making some side money as a DJ. Live young, wild, and Greek, right Noah? Just not in a GBA plane. Awesome job to Noah and his CFI Chazz Sandoval! 

​If you want to enjoy the rainbow, be prepared to endure the storm. And holy moly, have we had plenty of storms. Jose Saldana endured the storm and today got his rainbow by soloing!! This hard-working aviator has been enduring storm after storm and today got a brief window to get to KRTS and log some PIC time using runway 32. Variable, sometimes surprising winds, a little snow for his CFI Troy waiting on the ramp, made for some unique conditions. Jose put his Northern Nevada flying skills to work and handled it like a seasoned pilot. This soloed aviator does not sit still. He works multiple jobs to achieve his dream of a career in aviation. Between working at the airport, out at the tech center, and others in between, then flight/ground training, he rarely has time for his other love, soccer. Keep working for it Jose! If you do the hard work, it pays off. Today that was evident. Huge congratulations to Jose and his CFI Troy Ware! 

​What is so special about today, you may ask? Dr. Dre’s 58th birthday? Yoko Ono’s 90th birthday? The 93rd anniversary of Pluto’s discovery by some random dude with a telescope? While all of these events have their own special place in history, we have something of our own to add to the books! That’s right! Our very own Samuel Bacino kicked his instructor, Cody Lucero out of the airplane, strapped on a set of wings and blasted off into the sky! Sure, Pluto might be the 10th most massive known object to orbit the sun, but Sam was the 1st most massive object orbiting the Reno airport on this day, Feb 18th, 2023 at approximately 11 am (he was the only one in the pattern). Mark your calendars so you too will be able to retrieve this mind-blowing fact and share this day in history as a smooth ice breaker at your next cocktail party! And in case you would like to add a little extra detail to the story, Sam is earning his Private Pilot certificate all while attending classes full time at the University of Nevada, Reno as a mathematics major! Congratulations to Sam on achieving this huge first milestone! FIRST SOLO!

I swear they let anyone learn how to fly airplanes…here is another one of those helicopter ATPs thinking he can stroll in here and solo the super complicated C172. We had our doubts but today David Sidorski showed us and soloed N495SP on runway 17L at home base, KRNO!! We could say a lot of complementary things about David like how hard he works, how he loves animals and has befriended his neighborhood racoons, likes to spend more time outdoors than in, spoils his cat, is ripping it up in the hills on his dirtbike, or the fact that he is a safe and proficient pilot. We could say that during his two weeks on/two weeks off rotation from his helicopter job he chooses to come in and progress in his aviation skills rather than relax. But no, we would rather judge him for thinking the grass was greener on the rotorcraft side. Regardless of his past questionable decision making, huge congratulations to David and his team of CFIs including Austin White and Kurtis Hornung!! In all seriousness, David Sidorski is super impressive and is killing it in an airplane :)