​No case of the Mondays here. Jon Eriksen showed up in a great mood, and an even better mood after he flew because this guy soloed!! Jon flew N37JA at KRTS, tearing up runway 26 (in a good way). Jon had the place to himself as he enjoyed flying his most memorable laps while his CFI Chazz Sandoval watched from the ramp. Jon is a busy guy…works full time, lots of family time with his wife and son, learning to fly, and also preparing for the birth of his next munchkin any day now. Hopefully his kids take after him with a love of aviation and flight. Hopefully they do not take after him with his choice of sports teams…49ers. We still will celebrate Jon though 😊 Huge congratulations to him and Chazz!

​Jeremy Martinez soloed!! Just a bit ago, this amazing young man soloed N328ME at KRTS, runway 08. A little bumpy in the pattern but that did not stop him from safely maneuvering the aircraft and logging that first sweet solo time. Jeremy wants to be a pilot and it is obvious. Based on his commitment to training, he is on a great path to making it a career. He lives in Kings Beach, goes to High School in Truckee, and drives in consistently for his flight lessons. Not to mention he plays soccer, the accordion, and if all this does not make him super awesome enough, he is also a Dodgers fan  Keep up the hard work Jeremy! Congratulations to this accomplished high schooler and his CFI Austin White! 

​Are you wondering what Iowa is known for? While pigs, plains, and golden grains of corn come to mind, the Hawkeye State is known for much more than corn and pork. Most importantly, it is where Joey Dobson, Reno’s newest soloed pilot, most recently came from. Joey soloed N670CS at KRTS, runway 08 earlier today. While Northern Nevada is definitely different than where he was flying in Iowa, he quickly acclimated to the different terrain and procedures. Joey is a busy guy, working, mountain biking, buying trendy New Balance sneakers, and taking a daily dip in his hot tub, but still makes time to focus on completing his private pilot requirements. Today was a huge step toward that end goal. Awesome job Pork King (actually a compliment in Iowa)!! Huge congratulations to Joey and his CFI Austin White!  

While a lot of us were relaxing on this gorgeous Saturday, Rob Roderick was working hard and tearing up the pattern at KRTS (Steed as Rob calls it). This Shark Tank deal maker used his soloing skills to log several laps in the pattern on runway 14 in N292ED. Rob is a global product leader for a large company that helps millions of businesses with their payment processing. A professional by day, as well as a student pilot, Rob spends whatever little bit of free time he has charging through his ground school and flying. Morning, afternoon, whatever spot he can get with his CFI Chazz Sandoval. Like many of us, he definitely enjoys the calmer days as his vocab can get a bit colorful in the Northern NV bumps…again, like many of us ;) Rob is another example of how hard work pays off. The harder your work for something the greater you feel when you achieve it. I am sure Rob was feeling pretty dang amazing today! Huge congratulations to Rob and Chazz! Next step, Private Pilot Certificate. Watch for his name again soon, he has a timeline goal and none of us doubt he will hit it. ​

​Another solo on a beautiful Thursday...Ethan Kurashewich soloed!! This flat earther (inside joke) flew N670CS for several laps at KRTS, runway 08 as his CFI Kurtis Hornung looked on. While he did not get high enough to see the curvature of the earth, he maintained proper pattern altitude and handled the C172 like a pro. 1000 feet above the ground reinforced his belief that the earth has been, is, and shall continue to be flat. Concentrating all of your flying between Reno, Silver Springs, and Stead, no one one can really fault his beliefs ;) Ethan surely appreciated the nice weather as he is used to extreme heat, thermals, and turbulence. Nothing like hoping out of the plane, tossing those amazing locks, and walking a little taller and prouder on the flat ramp being a solo pilot. Time to celebrate Ethan!! The hard work and progress is paying off. Huge congratulations to Ethan and Kurtis on this unforgettable milestone! 

***Disclaimer - this is all tongue and cheek and not meant to offend anyone who believes in a flat earth. 

Travis Schaffer soloed!! Runway 08 at Stead had never seen prettier landings. Travis flew N752DW with the same confidence he takes to the slopes. This avid skier took it ice and easy on his first lap which was all the lift he needed. From there it was a real piste of cake as Travis flew several laps not snowing down. His CFI Austin White kept his ice on him from the ramp as Travis called the shots. This ski bum stays busy with work, flying, ground school and once the snow hits, there will be no snowing him down as he will definitely be back skiing and traveling as he enjoy his favorite winter activity (beside flying). But, he has come this far, knows the snow must go on, and is determined to earn his private pilot and work toward his goal of being an Aerial Firefighting Pilot. No keeping a snow profile today! Huge accomplishment to celebrate! Congratulations to Travis and Austin! Ski you later :)