As Zachary put more and more success-ful;flights;behind;him,;Kim;ended;up;go-ing along on most of them with her cam-era.;Now,;with;Zachary;almost;finished
with;half;of;his;flight;hours,;Kim;reports
that;she;has;learned;to;love;flying!
The;road;to;a;pilot’s;license;is;not;an
easy one, nor is it cheap. It requires
“ground school,” with bookwork and
hands-on interaction with airplanes, a
minimum;of;forty;hours;of;in-flight;in-
struction, no less than seven written ex-
ams,;a;cross-country;solo;flight,;and;a
final;test;called;a;“check-ride.”
Zachary completed seventeen hours of
his;in-flight;instruction;and;some;of;his
bookwork;during;his;high;school;years.
He;now;plans;to;finish;his;license;at;Le
Tourneau University in Texas, where
he is majoring in Aeronautical Science.
Zachary’s;instructor;loved;the;fact;that
Zachary was a homeschool student. Fly-
ing lessons are already subject to the
whims of the weather; it was nice not to
have to worry about a restrictive school
schedule as well.
Zachary attributes his love of flying
to inspiration from both of his grandfa-
thers.;One;grandfather;worked;for;Sikor-
sky;Aircraft;Corporation,;was;a;member
of the Air National Guard, and collected
model helicopters. His other grandfather
served;in;the;Army;in;the;Korean;War
and;built;dozens;of;balsa;wood;airplane
models, many of them with Zachary’s
help. Zachary says: “It was a culmination
of their love for airplanes and helicopters
that;inspired;me;to;want;to;fly.;.;.;.;My
grandpa also loved WWII stuff, . . . so
my true passion for airplanes came from
WWII;aviation.;.;.;.;If;I;could,;I’d;love;to
fly;one;of;those;old;warbirds.”
Zachary was a member of the Civil Air
Patrol;for;a;year;and;initially;anticipated
going to the United States Air Force Acad-
emy. Eventually, though, he felt the Lord
leading him in another direction, and
after;learning;about;Le;Tourneau’s stel-
lar aviation program, enrollment there
became the obvious next step for him.
His degree from Le Tourneau will afford
him many options for careers in the aero-
nautical;field,;from;commercial;pilot;to
airplane technician. He even dreams of
restoring old WWII planes some day.
The;feeling;of;flying;over;and;among
the;clouds;is;one;that;keeps;Zachary;in-spired.;He;especially;enjoys;“seeing;God’s
creation;from;a;point;of;view;unlike;no
other.”;His;mother;reports:;“To;see;how
TOP: Zachary, completing the pre-flight
check with his instructor.
RIGHT: Zachary sporting his new headset.
BELOW: Up, up and away. Zachary during
one of his flights.
Zachary’s;instructor
loved the fact that
Zachary was a
homeschool student
. . . It was nice not to
have to worry about
a restrictive school
schedule . . .
