FAPA student Tim Carlson made his first solo flight. In November, he took an introductory flight at Hemet-Ryan Flight School; he flew alone onboard a Cessna 172 Skyhawk on May 27.
Tim came to FAPA, he said, because he was interested in flying. But, he continued, “little did I know then what a big part of my life it would become.”
This past school year he’s worked on a variety of aviation projects. His Eagle Scout project is the cosmetic restoration of a Folland 141 Gnat, a 1950s British fighter, for the March Field Air Museum, where he interns. He works on the project on Saturdays, and expects to finish over the summer. Once complete, it will be one of the first planes visitors see upon entering the museum. He added, “It will be next to my favorite plane, the SR71 Blackbird [a 1960s reconnaissance aircraft].”
After completing his work on the Gnat, he plans on becoming a Boy Scout merit badge counselor in aviation, and an adult counselor when he turns 18. He plans on attending San Bernardino Valley College after high school, where he will study to become an aviation maintenance technician while working on his commercial pilot’s license. He remarked, “Eventually, I want to get my airline transport license and fly commercial jets.”
He is grateful to his teachers at FAPA, where “I was able to discover what I want to do with my life.”
