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Rey is GBA’s March Pilot of the Month! Oh great… it’s Reymond Arango again? Didn’t we just celebrate this guy? You better believe it! But why is he here again? Well, since Hailey was going to award this sooner (preferably on the day he soloed) but definitely forgot to order ink for the printer… here we are again! And I mean come on, what’s wrong with a little more of that Rey Arango smile in your feed?! Rey has been absolutely crushing his flight training these last couple of months! Since starting in January, Rey has been on fire. He’s battled weather delays, crushed his ground school, and just recently took to the skies solo for the very first time. Through it all, he’s brought that signature Rey smile and positive energy that lights up the school. Rey, it truly goes without saying that you earned every bit of this. Watching your growth as a pilot has been nothing short of awesome. You're hardworking, humble, and an absolute joy to have around. We know this is just the beginning, and we can't wait to cheer you on through your checkride and beyond! Awesome work Rey, 
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Whoa, did you see that? It looked like a man, but it was truly too fast to tell... If I had to guess, it had to be none other than the fast and fantastic Jesse Surry! I know Jesse is a running fool and can quite literally run laps around pretty much everyone here at GBA, but why is he running around like a mad man? Well, it’s because he’s passed his private pilot checkride and he’s flying high with excitement (and probably still burning off that adrenaline buzz)! Jesse Surry has been impressing us left and right. From battling the weather, studying his ground, running literal marathons, enjoying the powder, serenading people with his music, and on top of all that, flying and enjoying the skies, suffice to say Jesse has had his hands full these last few months. But today, Jesse came in cool and collected and absolutely dominated his checkride! Jesse, we’re so incredibly happy for you and we’re so excited to see you achieve such an incredible milestone. Let’s give Jesse and his flight instructor Shane Smith, who has been by Jesse’s side this entire adventure, a huge round of applause on this awesome accomplishment! Amazing work you guys, now get out there and enjoy the skies!  What what! If you thought one Arango pursuing flight training was enough, then think again! Aviation has been thrumming in the blood of the Arango brothers for a while now, and today the youngest brother, Reymond Arango, has taken to flight and soloed in N37JA at KRTS on runway 8! Rey is truly an amazing aviator, student, and character. He’s always got a positive outlook on his pursuits and is always making us smile in the office. It’s truly no surprise that Rey has conquered solo flight and we’re so incredibly proud of him and all the hard work he’s put in to get to this point in his training. Rey, you’ve been drilling your ground school, flying airplanes, balancing school, and today’s the day, you’re a solo pilot! When Rey isn’t busy being absolutely awesome, you can find him playing sports (he doesn’t like to admit it, but he’s kinda a track star), enjoying the warmer weather, spending time with friends and family, and indulging in some amazing food (he’s a big foodie). Let’s give Rey and his flight instructor, Lucas Murphy, a huge congratulations on this amazing accomplishment! Keep it up, Rey!  The sky was calling, and today Cameron Morrill answered by soloing in N752DW at KRTS on runway 8! Calm and collected, Cameron stepped up to the challenge with quiet confidence. After a quick pep talk and a ceremonial “boot” to his flight instructor, James Morgan (a rite of passage, of course), Cameron embraced the skies on his own for the first time and was met with cheers over the radio from fellow pilots in the pattern at KRTS. From day one, Cameron has been an incredibly focused and determined student. Whether he's flying or meticulously tabbing his FAR/AIM, he's shown time and again that he’s in this for the long haul. His dedication is obvious—and today, it paid off in a big way. When Cameron isn’t at the airport, you’ll likely find him camping, carving down snowy slopes, exploring great eats around town (he’s a true foodie), or trying to convince his dog to take a break from playing fetch. Huge congratulations to Cameron and his instructor James Morgan on reaching this unforgettable milestone. You’ve earned it! Just don’t get too comfortable—that private pilot checkride is just around the corner! Awesome work!  The other day I saw a picture of Andy Glenn with a naked lip, and I swear… I’ve had nightmares ever since… HEHE just kidding! You know him, you love him, his name is Andy Glenn and he’s officially a commercial pilot! In all honesty, how can you truly call yourself a commercial pilot if you don’t have a mustache? I mean look at him, Andy looks like he’s been a commercial pilot for years now! But on second thought… maybe it’s just a line tech thing? Come to think of it all of the GBA line guys seem to have glorious mustaches 🤔. Andy has been balancing the ramp as a line tech, battling weather these last few weeks, getting in his hours, and mastering his power-off 180s, and today it all came down to the moment of truth: the commercial checkride. While we love to give Andy a hard time, Andy has been working incredibly hard to get to this point in his training and we’re so incredibly excited to celebrate this absolutely awesome accomplishment with him. Let’s give Andy and his flight instructor, Richard Brong, a huge round of applause on this milestone! Keep up the amazing work, Andy! I’m sure we’ll see more of him here again soon as he battles CFI training. Until then!
Let’s give a standing ovation for Ruben Lara, who just took center stage in the sky with his first solo flight this morning at KSPZ! Kicking his instructor out and taking off from Runway 24 in N752DW, Ruben stayed cool and calm in the face of the feat ahead: solo flight. Hitting all the right notes, Ruben soared through the air and dominated the pattern entirely on his own (with maybe a few words of encouragement from his flight instructor, Andrew Spanier, on the ground). When Ruben's not flying, he’s wowing crowds with his incredible voice, performing gigs with his band around town, but today, the only sound he needed was the hum of the engine and the rush of the wind beneath his wings. Despite the bad weather trying to throw off his rhythm lately, he stayed in tune with his training and made this solo flight a chart-topping success! Let’s give Ruben Lara and Andrew a huge congratulations on this awesome accomplishment! And this is just the opening act—there are many more great performances to come in Ruben’s aviation career. Bravo, Ruben! Keep flying high and making the skies your stage!  After weeks of battling bad weather and multiple reschedules, the time has come, Kris Bell completed his checkride and earned his private pilot license today! Born in Canada, Kris tapped into his inner Canadian and remained calm in the face of all this tumultuous weather. It’s been a test of patience, but Kris stayed focused, put in the work, and made it happen. Originally, Kris began his flight training in Las Vegas before moving to Reno to study at UNR full time. Since then, he’s been balancing school and flight training, making the most of every opportunity to get in the air. When he’s not flying, he’s either studying hard, hitting the slopes on his snowboard, and having a good time with his friends. Let’s give Kris a huge congratulations on this absolutely amazing accomplishment, and while we’re at it, give his flight instructor, James Morgan, a thank you for guiding Kris along this path. Amazing work Kris! We can’t wait to see where your aviation journey takes you next!  Finally, some good weather! And what better way to take advantage of it than by earning your private pilot license? Well, GBA’s January Pilot of the Month, Jacob Hulsizer, did just that this morning and aced his private pilot checkride! After a brief hiatus from flight training due to weather, there was truly no doubt that Jacob would come in today and absolutely crush his ride. I mean come on, how could he not? He is Mr. Pilot of the Month after all 😉. Jacob has been sharpening his ground knowledge and fine-tuning the smallest details of his flying—when I say they were minute changes, I mean they were MINUTE changes. This guy’s an absolute stud in the plane. It’s evident that Jacob's true place is in the sky and we’re so excited to celebrate this incredible accomplishment with him today! On that note, let’s give Jacob and his flight instructor, Andrew Spanier, a huge round of applause in celebration of this incredible milestone! Jacob, we have no doubt that you’ll continue to impress us as you move on through your ratings. Next step is instrument! Awesome work!  Wait a second… we know this guy? Is he a CFI at GBA? Yes. Does he have a 10-step hair care routine? Almost positive. Does he think he’s cooler than everyone because he drives in from the lake? Oh definitely. And did he just earn his CFII? You better believe it! I think I have my answer… it couldn’t be anyone other than the fantastic Greg Anthenien! That’s right, you know him, you love him, and you’re definitely jealous of his hair, Greg Anthenien passed his CFII checkride today! Greg has truly mastered the art of instruction these last couple of months, but he decided it was time to up his game and navigate through the fog of CFII. While his CFII, Richard Brong, had a blast playing instrument student (even though he can’t hold altitude as is… just kidding!) Greg stayed patient, precise, and now has the ability to walk students through any instrument situation. And while Greg may have some aerodynamic disadvantages compared to Richard in the hair cateogry, I can still see that far off look in Richard’s eyes as he reminisces over the good ol’ days (he definitely had a mullet and it definitely keeps us up at night just thinking about it). Greg, awesome job today! We can’t wait to see you instruct some fine instrument pilots!  Noah Perkins just made a slam dunk in his aviation journey, completing his first solo flight at KRTS on runway 8 in N670CS! With aviation running in his blood, it was only a matter of time before Noah took to the skies on his own. His dad, Adam, a Southwest Airlines pilot and GBA renter, undoubtedly inspired Noah’s love for flying—but it’s Noah’s own dedication and hard work that got him to this moment. Balancing flight training with school and basketball, Noah has put in countless hours of preparation, proving his passion for aviation every step of the way. As a member of McQueen High School’s aviation club, he’s always looking for ways to sharpen his skills and deepen his knowledge of flying. Today, all that effort paid off as he took control of the aircraft and experienced the thrill of solo flight. Let’s give a huge congratulations to Noah and his flight instructor, Eric Harned, on this incredible achievement! Noah, we’re beyond proud and can’t wait to see where your aviation journey takes you next. Keep soaring, Noah—this is just the beginning!  |
AuthorAll posts are either written by Great Basin Aviation's staff or shared articles from other aviation sites. Source will be referenced in post. Archives
April 2025
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