MOUNT VERNON — Wyatt Wagner, a local 17-year-old, is in the process of getting his private pilot’s license. He flew his first solo flight recently and in honor of that his flight instructor, who is also his dad, Shane Wagner, cut the tail off of Wagner’s shirt in ceremonial fashion. The cutting of the shirt-tail is traditional for all pilots who have had their first solo flight.
A pilot typically spends 10 to 30 hours of flight time with an instructor before they can fly their first solo flight. The time in which a student gets their 10 to 30 hours completed varies. Some students take the college route to get their private pilot’s license. In that time frame, one could spend up to two semesters flying the 10 to 30 hours before being able to complete their first solo flight. The plane that Wagner used to fly his solo flight is the same one that he has used for his previous training: a Piper Cherokee 180.
“I’ve always been amazed by flight,” said Wagner. “I’ve always thought that it would be so cool to sit in the pilot’s seat and take off in an airplane.”
Wagner was in a unique situation. With the skills and talent that he already possessed from flying with his dad before his official training, Wagner was able to get through it in one week and was able to complete his first solo flight soon thereafter. Wagner can save on the cost of private pilot’s training by having his dad as an instructor (costs would typically be $6,000 to $7,000 to get one’s private pilot’s license). Also, the family partially owns the Piper Cherokee 180 that Wagner has been using to train.
“The plane has shared ownership,” said Shane Wagner. “There are four of us who own the plane. We’re part-owners. It’s pretty nice that way because it allows us to keep the costs of his training reasonable.”
Wyatt Wagner says that the key to juggling high school with getting one’s pilot license is simple: you just have to have a really good focus. As long as one sets time aside every day to practice flying, one can accomplish their goals as long as they have the drive and dedication that good focus requires.
“Me and my dad speak the same language when it comes to flying,” said Wagner. “It was easy for me to learn and pick up on what he was teaching me.”
