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    Mason mastered the foggles!

    I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but CFII Kurtis Hornung’s hair has been getting much longer… We’ve heard word that he’s going for the mullet, and we have reason to believe that his inspiration is from none other than his own awesome, tail wheel flying, advanced student, Mason Koonce! But aside from being mullet bros, we have even more exciting news. Mason Koonce is officially an instrument rated pilot! Mason was able to successfully complete his checkride this morning in N328ME before the flight school was grounded for weather. With his sight set towards the cargo airlines or maybe being a stunt double for Billy Ray Cyrus, Mason is one step closer to his dream. He still needs to mullet it over 😆 But for now he’s enjoying the epic ride of low and slow C172 flying. Congratulations to Mason and his CFII Kurtis Hornung!
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    Go Grizzlies!!

    GBA representing at Galena High School Baseball. Go Drew Britson and all the Grizzlies!! ​
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    Shane is a private pilot!!

    Sam- I mean… Shane Smith (inside joke) is officially a Private Pilot!! Shane is easily one of the coolest pilots behind the flight deck. With his classic, slick hair and pearly white smile, the mere glimpse of this guy screams “pilot”, but now he finally has the license to prove it! With temperatures picking up this afternoon, it wasn’t enough to stop this calm and collected pilot as he brought N495SP back to KRNO with victory as he heard the words “you passed”! You can find Shane with his nose in a book or his mouth full of sushi when he’s not greasing his landings and studying for hours on end. Shane has an amazing support system, composed of his family, friends, and girlfriend, all of which he’s incredibly excited to share the gift of flight with. Congratulations to Shane and his instructor Ethan Chinowsky on this incredible achievement! Now don’t rest for too long, let’s get that instrument rating and don’t forget to close the door…
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    David Soloed!!

    ​David Streetman is a pretty amazing student pilot! So much so that he kicked out his instructor, Ethan Chinowsky, and soloed in N328ME on Runway 08, KRTS early this morning! With five beautiful landings, Ethan hopped back in and flew back to KRNO with David. However, with a little extra time left over and enjoying that taste of freedom, David decided to continue his solo at KRNO, kicking Ethan out yet again (we don’t blame him), and added an additional four landings to this already amazing day! David is hardly a stranger to aviation. With prior exposure in his father’s Bonanza, this pilot certainly had an edge coming into this journey. Commuting from Susanville for flight training, being an active member in the National Guard, full time work in law enforcement, and time for his family, David’s motivation, work ethic, and drive are beyond inspiring. We can’t wait to see him get his private pilot certificate! Congratulations to David and his instructor Ethan on this great accomplishment! Keep up the awesome momentum.
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    Ethan reported "Bread!!"

    Ethan can fly in the clouds!!  Ethan Vincent, 17 years old, had a great round this morning adding this tough rating as he navigated with precision in N2291C. Successful multitasking is nothing new to Ethan. When he isn’t at the airport working on advancing his aviation certificates/ratings, he is studying to finish his senior year strong, working at Home Depot, or tearing up the green as a member of his school’s golf team.  Ethan definitely kept things in the fairway today proficiently demonstrating the VOR-D, ILS, and RNAV, reporting “Bread,” and showing the examiner he is a safe, competent pilot without having to look out the window. Only birdies from here on out Ethan (just don't hit them while you are flying)! Next comes schooling for his A&P, then commercial certificate, CFI, and who knows, you might see his name added to the GBA instruction roster in a couple years :) Huge congratulations to Ethan, a super motivated young aviator. Great job as well to his CFIIs Danny Britson and Cody Lucero. Enjoy the 19th hole! ​
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    Gustavo Soloed!!

    Gustavo soloed!! If you were listening to CTAF this morning, that cool, calm, collected voice with a Brazilian accent was Gustavo Riggio. He enjoyed some solo laps in N752DW, runway 24 as his CFI Kurtis Hornung looked on. Gustavo came to the States from Brazil several years ago enjoying all that Northern Nevada offers. Snowboarding, RV-ing with his family in the gorgeous Sierras, and other outdoor adventures. Then he took a discovery flight and the rest is history. He has been hard charging in the little spare time he has. Gustavo completed ground school, aced the knowledge test, and now soloed. Private Pilot will be here before he knows it. In the meantime, enjoy that feeling of freedom from this most memorable flight! Huge congratulations to Gustavo and Kurtis! All the efforts are paying off :) 
    "De grão em grão a galinha enche o papo."