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    Ruben Lara has Conquered Solo Flight!

    Let’s give a standing ovation for Ruben Lara, who just took center stage in the sky with his first solo flight this morning at KSPZ! Kicking his instructor out and taking off from Runway 24 in N752DW, Ruben stayed cool and calm in the face of the feat ahead: solo flight. Hitting all the right notes, Ruben soared through the air and dominated the pattern entirely on his own (with maybe a few words of encouragement from his flight instructor, Andrew Spanier, on the ground). When Ruben's not flying, he’s wowing crowds with his incredible voice, performing gigs with his band around town, but today, the only sound he needed was the hum of the engine and the rush of the wind beneath his wings. Despite the bad weather trying to throw off his rhythm lately, he stayed in tune with his training and made this solo flight a chart-topping success! Let’s give Ruben Lara and Andrew a huge congratulations on this awesome accomplishment! And this is just the opening act—there are many more great performances to come in Ruben’s aviation career. Bravo, Ruben! Keep flying high and making the skies your stage!
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    Jacob Hulsizer is a Private Pilot!

    Finally, some good weather! And what better way to take advantage of it than by earning your private pilot license? Well, GBA’s January Pilot of the Month, Jacob Hulsizer, did just that this morning and aced his private pilot checkride! After a brief hiatus from flight training due to weather, there was truly no doubt that Jacob would come in today and absolutely crush his ride. I mean come on, how could he not? He is Mr. Pilot of the Month after all 😉. Jacob has been sharpening his ground knowledge and fine-tuning the smallest details of his flying—when I say they were minute changes, I mean they were MINUTE changes. This guy’s an absolute stud in the plane. It’s evident that Jacob's true place is in the sky and we’re so excited to celebrate this incredible accomplishment with him today! On that note, let’s give Jacob and his flight instructor, Andrew Spanier, a huge round of applause in celebration of this incredible milestone! Jacob, we have no doubt that you’ll continue to impress us as you move on through your ratings. Next step is instrument! Awesome work!
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    Kris Bell got his Private Pilot License!

    After weeks of battling bad weather and multiple reschedules, the time has come, Kris Bell completed his checkride and earned his private pilot license today! Born in Canada, Kris tapped into his inner Canadian and remained calm in the face of all this tumultuous weather. It’s been a test of patience, but Kris stayed focused, put in the work, and made it happen. Originally, Kris began his flight training in Las Vegas before moving to Reno to study at UNR full time. Since then, he’s been balancing school and flight training, making the most of every opportunity to get in the air. When he’s not flying, he’s either studying hard, hitting the slopes on his snowboard, and having a good time with his friends. Let’s give Kris a huge congratulations on this absolutely amazing accomplishment, and while we’re at it, give his flight instructor, James Morgan, a thank you for guiding Kris along this path. Amazing work Kris! We can’t wait to see where your aviation journey takes you next!
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    Noah Perkins Soloed!!

    Noah Perkins just made a slam dunk in his aviation journey, completing his first solo flight at KRTS on runway 8 in N670CS! With aviation running in his blood, it was only a matter of time before Noah took to the skies on his own. His dad, Adam, a Southwest Airlines pilot and GBA renter, undoubtedly inspired Noah’s love for flying—but it’s Noah’s own dedication and hard work that got him to this moment. Balancing flight training with school and basketball, Noah has put in countless hours of preparation, proving his passion for aviation every step of the way. As a member of McQueen High School’s aviation club, he’s always looking for ways to sharpen his skills and deepen his knowledge of flying. Today, all that effort paid off as he took control of the aircraft and experienced the thrill of solo flight. Let’s give a huge congratulations to Noah and his flight instructor, Eric Harned, on this incredible achievement! Noah, we’re beyond proud and can’t wait to see where your aviation journey takes you next. Keep soaring, Noah—this is just the beginning!
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    Greg Anthenien is a CFII!!

    Wait a second… we know this guy? Is he a CFI at GBA? Yes. Does he have a 10-step hair care routine? Almost positive. Does he think he’s cooler than everyone because he drives in from the lake? Oh definitely. And did he just earn his CFII? You better believe it! I think I have my answer… it couldn’t be anyone other than the fantastic Greg Anthenien! That’s right, you know him, you love him, and you’re definitely jealous of his hair, Greg Anthenien passed his CFII checkride today! Greg has truly mastered the art of instruction these last couple of months, but he decided it was time to up his game and navigate through the fog of CFII. While his CFII, Richard Brong, had a blast playing instrument student (even though he can’t hold altitude as is… just kidding!) Greg stayed patient, precise, and now has the ability to walk students through any instrument situation. And while Greg may have some aerodynamic disadvantages compared to Richard in the hair cateogry, I can still see that far off look in Richard’s eyes as he reminisces over the good ol’ days (he definitely had a mullet and it definitely keeps us up at night just thinking about it). Greg, awesome job today! We can’t wait to see you instruct some fine instrument pilots!
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    Michael Abawi Soloed!

    AHHH my eyessss! What is that bright light? A smile? Why, that’s the brightest smile I’ve ever seen!? Well, it’s none other than Michael Abawi’s as he’s cheesing it up in his picture. Why might you ask? Well because he soloed in N670CS at KSPZ on runway 6! Michael Abawi is one of those guys that just exudes positive energy. He never lets anything take him down and he’s incredibly persistent! And I mean, having been burdened- I mean blessed 😉 with 5 siblings, I assume that kind of mentality is required. But enough poking around, Mike has been working diligently to get to this point in his flight training and it’s time to celebrate! Mike, you’ve been flying, you’ve been studying, and today is the day you finally got to kick your flight instructor, Shane Smith, out of the plane! When Mike isn’t being an absolute stud in the airplane, you can find him enjoying some stuffed grape leaves (didn’t even know what those were until today), dominating a pool match, and studying hard at school. Let’s give a huge congratulations to Mike and Shane on this huge accomplishment. That private pilot checkride is just on the horizon!
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