National scholarship propels local’s pursuit of flight

FAIRMONT - Heading into his junior year, Fairmont High School student Devin Hanson has spent his summer preparing for a different kind of test altogether, in part because he received a national scholarship.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) Foundation wing offers at least 90 scholarships of $12,000 for students aged 16-18 to earn their private pilot license across America. This year, Hanson was one of the lucky few to receive a scholarship. For him, flying has been a dream since he was a child.

"I wanted to be a pilot for like as long as I can remember," Hanson said. "I remember being a little kid and saying 'I’m gonna do that one day.'"

The journey started with taking his knowledge and ground test last year. Hanson said his math teacher and licensed pilot Jerry Brooks was a pivotal part in getting his dream off the ground, including Brooks lending Hanson a plane.

"He let me have this plane; he got me into everything," he said. "I took my knowledge test and ground school, and got into the flight school at Albert Lea. That was all him. I don’t know what I would have done if he wasn’t there."

That flight school is Sunrise Aviation. The plane itself is a Piper Cherokee Warrior II, the kind of fixed-wing single-engine plane Hanson will be licensed to fly when he passes his test. He said flying it is a very unique experience.

"It’s really hard to describe," he said. "I love looking out the window, seeing a few thousand feet in the air. I’m like, 'Wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this.'

Going in, Hanson said he knew it was going to be a good bit of money to get his license. Hoping not to have to dip into his savings to pursue his dream, he looked for scholarships and found the AOPA Foundation's offering. Filling it out, Hanson said he had trouble figuring out what he wanted to highlight.

"They’re just asking these questions about my life," he said. "There’s a 'Which parts should I put? I can’t put everything.'"

At the beginning of March, after around three to four months of waiting, Hanson got the selection message he had been hoping for.

"I was really really excited," he said. "I did not think I was going to get it, and I was shocked. I was very happy because then I knew I could do this."

With those funds, Hanson has been working diligently during the summer to get ready through training at Sunrise Aviation. So far, he has 56 hours of flying in just a month and a half. By far, he said the actual flying has been the most enjoyable and easier to learn, while preparing for the ground test has been the more challenging aspect.

"They're going to spend two hours asking me like specific things about this aircraft," Hanson said. "What’s the best rate of climb or best rate of glide, what to do if you have an engine fire or an engine failure, where you would land, how you’re supposed to do everything. There’s also a lot of stuff about weather."

Through his preparation, and the doors opened by the scholarship, Hanson sees his potential future career a lot clearer now.

"If being an airline pilot is something that I want to do, it’s going to be significantly easier for me to get there," he said. "Being able to do it this young is not something I would have been able to do without the scholarship. Being able to do it this young, I’m building some connections I wouldn’t have, and it’s going to help me a lot down the road."

Given he passes his upcoming exam, Hanson said he will pursue his instrument rating so he can fly in more inclement weather conditions. He will also be furthering his aviation education by taking the Principles of Aviation class Jerry Brooks offers at Fairmont High School this coming school year. Wherever the future takes him, he said he is going to fly.

"This will definitely be a huge part of my life," Hanson said. "It’s going to be an expensive hobby, but it’s a lot of fun."