Tanner Barkowski is an Instrument Rated Pilot!! Yes, the pilot who cannot even take a normal picture (see below) can legally fly in the clouds. Tanner came in early this morning for aircraft pre-flight and pre-checkride affirmation statements, then flew N752DW demonstrating all the requirements for this tough rating. Tanner passed the oral portion last week but due to the storms, he had to postpone the flight until today. But what a gorgeous day to complete it! Except he wasn't even looking out the window. Tanner is a 141 student and definitely has put in the time/effort to keep up with the rigorous training schedule all while working, studying, helping plan his wedding, preparing for a big move after the first of the year, and his military commitments. He was private pilot to instrument rated in just 4 months! Watch for his name again soon because that commercial checkride will be here before he knows it. Huge congratulations to Tanner and his CFII Jack Darlington!
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If you hear yelling in the office, it is usually us telling Nathan Morin to stop eating all the fruit snacks. But, today, we were yelling CONGRATULATIONS because he passed the difficult instrument checkride!! Nathan Morin has been part of GBA for a couple years and having a ton of fun flying when not working, eating all the food in the office, and in between trips for his plane spotting hobby. Nathan worked with CFII Bob Bennett the last few months on ground school and that teaching showed. He breezed through his oral exam a couple weeks ago but was not able to fly due to smoke. Today he came in early, made sure the Princess (N2291C) was all set, and showed the DPE he has the skills to fly in less than ideal visibility. Nathan is determined to have a career in aviation and is on a solid path. We could not be happier for him!! This afternoon he was set to start his commercial ground school and he is back on the schedule tomorrow to time build. Huge congratulations to Nathan and his CFII Cody Lucero!
Wait, Greg Rudman again? An Instrument Pilot? Yes, you heard that right, Greg Rudman is an Instrument Rated Pilot! A mere 3 months after getting his private pilot certificate, today, he earned the privilege to fly in the clouds! After a week of bad weather and rain, the sun finally broke through and Greg was able to show off his awesome foggle skills with the DPE in N2291C. An approach here, a hold there, reporting “Bread"…he did it all with precision. To say that Greg is a passionate and dedicated aviator is an understatement. Right after we forced him to take this picture (which he loves), he bought his Commercial Ground School kit! A huge congratulations to Greg and his CFII Jack Darlington on this huge accomplishment!
NACAYLA FRANEY - Nacayla is our September Pilot of the Month! Nacayla has been working super hard to expand her knowledge in and out of the classroom. When she’s not at UNR in class, she’s watching ground school videos to prepare herself for her next lesson (while also taking the most organized, color coordinated notes her CFI Chazz has ever seen). She is constantly asking questions in the airplane to better understand the aircraft. Solo post coming soon for her! Between college, work, flight training, this girl is a superstar.
New Full Financing Option Available to Students at Great Basin Aviation! Students enrolled in Great Basin Aviation who need deferred full financial assistance (zero-CFII) will now have access to an innovative new financing option to pay for their courses, thanks to our partnership with the Meritize platform.The new financing option will help students finance their career path in aviation. Unlike traditional lenders that rely solely on FICO scores, and other financial records to determine whether to lend to an individual. The Meritize platform considers the full depth of an individual’s academic or military achievements to enhance credit evaluation and potentially improve loan options. Because the new financing option considers previous academic or military experiences, merit-based financing may provide a significant source of financial and credit assistance for students who are self-financing their private pilot, instrument, commercial, CFI, and CFII. Applications are currently open to residents of 38 states (see below). Unfortunately, NV is not yet on the list but stay tuned. Residents of our neighboring states are eligible to apply. Contact Jenn at Great Basin Aviation for more information about this financing option, [email protected] *Great Basin Aviation does not endorse a particular lender, nor is it affiliated with Meritize Financial, Inc. ("Meritize") or the Meritize Platform.
Meritize Lending, LLC, NMLS ID 1661035 (NMLS Consumer Access https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/) Meritize Financial, Inc. NMLS ID 1986399 (NMLS Consumer Access https://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/) Terms and Conditions apply. Meritize branded loan products are educational loans issued by Meritize Lending, LLC**. Meritize reserves the right to modify or discontinue products and benefits at any time without notice. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or hold an Employment Authorization Document and meet Meritize’s underwriting requirements. If approved for a loan the actual loan amount, term, payment, and APR amount of loan that a customer qualifies for may vary based on credit determination, state law and other factors. Meritize does not warrant or guarantee any claims made herein, including, but not limited to, gaining admission to a program, concerning the quality or financial strength of any educational institution, securing funding or obtaining employment. Our final loan offer may differ as a result of the school chosen and the associated cost of tuition. Not all schools are eligible for funding. Meritize does not offer educational loans in the following states: IA, IN, KY, ME, MI, ND, NV, SD, VT, WI, WV, WY, PR. All rights reserved. **For residents of SC, loan is made by Meritize Financial, Inc. Patriot Day is our Nation's way of remembering the victims of the September 11th attacks and to remind us the heavy sacrifices that were made. This is a day for us to pay tribute to our Nation's fallen and to never forget our heroes and their sacrifices.
"One of the worst days in American history saw some of the bravest acts in American history. We'll always honor the heroes of 9/11. Here at this hallowed place, we pledge that we will never forget their sacrifice." — Former President George W. Bush What is better than one Dad soloing on a smokey Saturday? How about two! Justin Cooper soloed this morning at KSPZ, runway 24 in N752DW! This Marine is no stranger to adverse conditions being he spent his time in service as an infantryman. The smoke was out there, his CFI had jumped ship, but he was able to focus on the task at hand and successfully complete his first few solo laps. His CFI Kurtis Hornung watched from the ramp as Justin flew with ease. Now an electrician, husband, and dad (youngest is just about a week old), Justin definitely has his hands full, probably sleep deprived (but still safe) and is in a few times a week working on his private pilot. His ultimate goal is back country flying, just not in a GBA 172 though :) Huge congratulations to Justin and Kurtis!
More smoke in the valley this morning…ugh…but that did not stop Enrique Calderon from showing up for his lesson today ready to make his mark in aviation. This local photographer, husband, and dad can now add soloed pilot to the list! Enrique soloed N495SP at KRNO, runway 16L. With our awesome tower crew calling the shots, Enrique was able to add 5 solo take-offs and landings to his logbook. He has been doing incredible in his training while multi-tasking life. Always shows up excited to fly, even if it was thermally, hot conditions. And, it all paid off to be able to take this huge step in his training and his goal of taking his family flying. Huge congratulations to Enrique and his CFI, the "Pink Flamingo,” Chris Buckley! And, we are just going to say he put the sun screen upside down on purpose ;)
Happy Birthday to the newest soloed pilot!! Olivia Fox spent her birthday morning in the pilot seat of N495SP at KRTS logging some PIC time. This young lady is amazing!! She recently earned her degree in Environmental Science with minors in Chemistry and Ecohydrology and now is studying Pre-Law and Business Administration. And she works full time for an aviation charter company. It is an understatement to say she likes to stay busy. Olivia has done incredible in her flight training. She has mastered the crosswind landing as most of her flights are in the worst conditions. This morning was a treat for her as she enjoyed the cool, calm air. Like most solo students, she too was reluctant to taxi back and get pick up her CFI, but she did give Troy a ride back to RNO. She also let Troy know the plane performs better without his weight in it :) Enjoy this incredible day of celebration Olivia!! Congratulations to Olivia and Troy Ware.
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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
November 2024
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