Ian did a great job being our first student to solo out of our temporary home at Danielson Airport.  After a couple of good weeks flying weather and lots of hard work he did 3 nice landings in our 180HP Skyhawk N9867J.  Well done Ian!

Ryan compensated for the rotten January weather by targeted simulator training, lots of reading, and developing a consistent checklist routine that helped minimize the flight time needed to achieve his first solo.  His three patterns in Cessna 150, N16177, were flown with laser precision on a calm, cloudy day just before the big storm hit!  He’s now going back home to finish his Private Pilot training in the warmer but very busy Florida airspace.

Congrats to Vinny for crushing his Private Pilot checkride in N9867J with FAA Examiner Marc Nathanson.  Marc commented on his smoothness in handling the 180HP Cessna 172 and near flawless landings.  Incredible instruction and preparation from CFI Noah Putnam led to a happy day for all!

Big congratulations to Lauren on earning her Private Pilot certificate just two days before she headed off to University of North Dakota to continue her path towards a career in professional aviation.  Thanks to great instruction from Joanne Swanson, cooperative weather, and her skillful piloting she breezed through her oral and flight test with examiner Daryl Smith.

Congrats to Jordan on a well-earned First Solo on an early morning flight with the sun shining!  Thanks to CFI Joanne Swanson for the excellent preparation and our trusty Cessna 150 N16177 for another memorable milestone.

Phil is the first of our students to reach solo in our 1980 C172N, making three nice landings as CFI Noah Putnam looked on.  It was one of the hottest days this year, but Phil stayed cool and easily handled the thermals and crosswinds.  Great Job Phil!

After a workout in thermals and gusty crosswinds that he handled well, we asked Manny to come back early the next morning and he executed three near perfect landings for his First Solo!  Now he gets to spread his wings and look forward to the cross-country flights.

Nothing better than soloing in a plane you own.  Ernest had that thrill in his 1965 Cessna 172F after just a few lessons with his instructor Joanne Swanson.  Ernest started flying at Danielson Airport but came to us based on our reputation and success in training great pilots.  He’s already started on the cross-country adventures and Private Pilot isn’t far off.

Dave is our newest Private Pilot after completing his FAA checkride on a hot, gusty day.  He handled the challenging conditions just the way he was trained, which required two go-arounds during the test which demonstrated his good judgement as PIC to the examiner.  Dave is continuing with instrument training and  actively looking to purchase his own airplane.

Big Cheers for Ethan on his First Solo, just shortly after his 16th Birthday!  What a great way to start the day with a very early morning flight and being up there alone for the first time.  Ethan is following in his Dad’s footsteps as a professional aviator and his instructor Joanne Swanson is creating a well-trained, confident pilot!