​Before most people have even rubbed the sleep out of their eyes, Alyssa Yerick was already at the airport, preflighting in the dark and getting ready for a milestone morning. Today, Alyssa soloed Runway 32 at KRTS in N352ME! She might drag herself through the door before sunrise, but once she’s in the cockpit, her vision is sharp, her focus is clear, and she’s got the perfect prescription for success.
When she’s not flying, Alyssa is studying to be an optometrist, so it’s no surprise that she knows how to keep her eyes on the horizon. In fact, today she proved she has true aviation “20/20” spot-on landings, steady hands, and the ability to see the big picture even when the nerves kick in.
Alyssa is also a fan of line dancing, so let’s just say she knows her way around steps both on the dance floor and in the traffic pattern. Originally from Las Vegas (you know, the other Nevada), she traded flashing lights, slot machines, and bad Elvis impersonators for UNR, the sound of Lycoming engines, and the kind of odds that are actually worth betting on, three solo takeoffs and three landings.
Huge congratulations also go out to her CFI, Andrew Spanier, for the guidance and encouragement that helped Alyssa hit this milestone.
Congrats, Alyssa! You’ve officially gone from pre-dawn yawns to a logbook solo entry, and your future in aviation looks clearer than a brand-new pair of lenses. This future eye doc just gave us all something to look up to!

​Big congratulations to Shawn Tuckett, who just earned his Private Pilot Certificate in fixed-wing! While Shawn already holds his Commercial Rotorcraft certificate, today he officially joined the “real wings” club and traded in rotor wash for runway lights.
Flying helicopters has its thrills, hovering, autorotations, and all that collective-twisting fun, but we all know life is better with a proper set of wings. In the airplane, Shawn doesn’t have to constantly juggle power, pedals, and pitch just to stay in the air. No more pretending to be a hummingbird, now he can actually cruise, trim it out, and sip some imaginary coffee in straight and level flight.
Of course, his rotorcraft background gave him great stick-and-rudder instincts, but earning a fixed-wing certificate proves Shawn can do it all. He’s conquered both the hover button-mashing world of helicopters and the smooth, efficient world of airplanes.
A huge congratulations as well to his CFI, Andrew Spanier, for guiding Shawn through stalls, slips, and landings that don’t end with skids on the pavement.
Well done, Shawn! You’ve proven you can fly anything with lift, blades or wings, but let’s face it: fixed-wing really is the way to go (at least in our biased opinion ).

Huge congratulations to Jurgen Hirt, who officially earned his CFI certificate today! Becoming a CFI isn’t for the faint of heart, it takes hours of studying, flying, and being grilled in a checkride, but Jurgen came out on top, cool and collected, and is now cleared to teach the next generation of pilots.
Jurgen isn’t just another new instructor, he’s a guy of many talents. He’s an exceptional bassoon player (because why settle for guitar or piano when you can master the coolest, most complicated instrument in the orchestra?). He’s a world traveler who’s probably got more stamps in his passport than most of us have landings in our logbooks. And let’s not forget, this guy knows how to pick a quality German beer like it’s a fine landing on Runway 17L. Priorities, right?
A big shoutout as well to his CFIs, Eric Harned and Bob Bennett, for their mentorship and guidance.
Congrats, Jurgen! From bassoon reeds to checkride leads, from traveling the world to teaching in the pattern, you’ve officially added “CFI” to your resume. Now it’s your turn to pass that knowledge on and help shape the next wave of aviators. Prost to you, Jurgen, aviation is lucky to have you! Über den Wolken ist die Freiheit grenzenlos.

​Big shoutout to Ryan Kwan, who just earned his Instrument Rating! That means he’s now certified to fly through the clouds, keep his cool when visibility drops, and let the gauges do the talking. It takes discipline, focus, and plenty of patience to master IFR flying, and Ryan nailed it.
Now, Ryan has been known to say, “when I grow up, I just want to be a hermit in the mountains.” Nice dream, Ryan, but let’s be real, you don’t spend hours perfecting holds, nailing approaches, and briefing procedures just to go live in a cabin with goats. Maybe save the Jeremiah Johnson hermit thing for retirement, because aviation clearly has your name written all over it. You belong in the sky, not hiding in the woods.
Of course, this milestone didn’t come without help, major props to his CFII, Greg Anthenien, who had the joy (and maybe occasional headache) of riding shotgun while Ryan turned “I think I see the runway” into “established on the localizer.” Together, they tackled the clouds, the checklists, and the challenges, and came out with a shiny new rating to prove it.
So congratulations, Ryan! You’ve gone from mountain man daydreams to cloud conqueror reality. The only thing in holding now is your retirement plan, aviation is where you belong.

​Congratulations to Dalton Drum, who took to the skies solo today in N670CS at KRTS, Runway 26! Dalton handled this milestone flight in his signature style, cool, calm, and collected from engine start to shutdown. No drama, no stress, just steady hands, smooth flying, and a quiet confidence that makes him a natural in the cockpit.
Dalton is one of those people who you can’t help but admire. He’s kind, humble, and always approaches his lessons with patience and focus. Nothing rattles him. That calm demeanor carried him through every takeoff and landing today as he wrote his name into the logbook of solo aviators.
And, of course, we can’t skip over the fact that Dalton is a proud lefty. While most pilots fly “by the right,” Dalton proved today that being a southpaw is an advantage in the skies. He’s not only left-handed, he’s also left the ground, left the pattern on his own, and definitely left a mark on all of us here at GBA. It’s safe to say Dalton has the “left seat” covered.
A big congratulations as well to his CFI, James Morgan, for the guidance, patience, and expertise that helped Dalton reach this milestone moment. Way to go, Dalton, your first solo is now officially logged, signed, and stamped in aviation history.

CFII Success, Congratulations Justin Olmstead! 
Huge congratulations to Justin Olmstead for nailing his CFII checkride today! While he might be known for leaving his belongings scattered in the cockpit and his flight bag laying in the hallway, when it comes to flying, he’s all about staying on the proper course. Today, Justin proved to the examiner that he’s more than qualified to “teach in the soup” and keep students on the glidepath to success.
This guy doesn’t exactly sit idle, between golf swings, marathon running, hiking trails, and even pickleball (really, Justin?), he somehow finds time to keep his personal heading bug set firmly on aviation. His determination and focus would pass any holding-pattern endurance test.
His long-term goal? American Airlines, cruising high in the left seat. But knowing Justin, he’s not done adding approaches, endorsements, and ratings to his logbook just yet. Next up: maybe some seaplane flying, having some fun with his certificates, and then helping the next generation of aviators keep the shiny side up and the needles centered.
And of course, congratulations as well to his CFII, Shane Smith, for keeping Justin trimmed out, stable, and on course toward this milestone. Way to go, Justin! You’ve got unlimited ceilings and a clearance path to success!