• Published on

    OSU Cowboy Solo

    ​Talk about jumping on the moment! As soon as the smoke cleared today, this OSU graduate came to us to keep working on his private pilot rating and managed to get to the milestone of solo flight today. Dillon Davidson soloed N37JA at KRTS today on Runway 26 as his instructor, Ethan Chinowsky, looked on with a smile. Dillon has been training hard while balancing other life responsibilities. Today, those all took a proverbial back seat as Dillon took to the sky on his own for the first time. Nice work, Dillon! Keep up the good work. We’ll make sure you get the orange plane on the Wall of Fame. 
    Picture
  • Published on

    Ben Soloed!!

    What better way for a local PE teacher to spend his summer than learning how to fly! Ben Mallery, teacher turned student, soloed today in N328ME at KRTS, runway 26. Ben has been working hard on this goal and today his instructor, Jacob Hetland, blew the whistle and cut Ben loose in the pattern to knock out some touch-and-go laps. Being a PE teacher and now a soloed pilot, I don't think anything scares Ben. Which is good because summer flying throws the challenges of thermals, wind, and now smoke into flight training. Ben is making awesome progress and well on his way to his Private Pilot! Congratulations again to Ben and Jacob!! ​
    Picture
  • Published on

    Lamb Chop is a CFII!

    Want some mint jelly with that New Zealand lamb chop? Yes, our very own Kiwi Ethan Chinowsky (AKA Lamp Chop) added one more rating to his growing list of FAA ratings: Certified Flight Instructor - Instrument. He valiantly flew N752DW in the hazy skies around Silver Springs, Hazen VOR, and all around our general neck of the woods to a successful ride with his examiner. Ethan kicked into high gear for this additional rating just a short while ago and made it happen. We’re proud of his drive on this one and for him getting another successful ride. Cheers to his instructor, Sean Torbett, too!
    Picture
  • Published on

    Adelle Soloed!!

    Adelle Kukla soloed!! This motivated North Valleys High School incoming Senior earned The Flight Academy Scholarship through the US Air Force and is currently at a Purdue satellite campus in Florida to earn her Private Pilot. All expenses paid. Today she hit that huge milestone of the first solo flight! Awesome job Adelle! Private Pilot is right around the corner!
    Picture
  • Published on

    Andrew Soloed!!

    Disclaimer: This post is in no way meant to offend accountants or anyone in financial services…it might, but it is not “meant” to

    What do accountants do for fun? Add the telephone book. Hahahaha! Well, that is all accountants except for Andrew Spanier. This morning he learned that aviation is not accrual world as he flew his first few solo laps in N328ME at KRTS, runway 26. Andrew and his CFI Jack Darlington ran a full risk assesment and concluded that based on the figures, today was the day to cut Andrew loose in the pattern! If you haven’t guessed it yet, Andrew is a local accountant who spends his days solving problems you didn’t know you had in a way you don’t understand. He made the decision to put down the calculator, trade in the dark grey socks for the light grey, take off the tie, and learn to fly!! And he is loving every minute of it. Now the fun solo flights begin, and if our calculations are correct, it will be no time and he will be checkride prepping. Huge congratulations to Andrew and CFI Jack!! Be audit you can be :) ​
    Picture