Oak Park student is ready to take flight

Acorn Staff Writer


MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn THE AIR UP THERE--Mark Nahan, 17, of Oak Park is working on getting his pilot's license and he takes a test today. Mark, who started learning to fly a year ago, would like to fly commercial jets.

THE AIR UP THERE–Mark Nahan, 17, of Oak Park is working on getting his pilot’s license and he takes a test today. Mark, who started learning to fly a year ago, would like to fly commercial jets. MICHAEL COONS/The Acorn 

 

 

Mark Nahan of Oak Park is flying high and its not just because he’s turning 18.

When Mark celebrates his birthday tomorrow, he’ll also be taking his pilot’s test, bringing to life a dream that he’s had since he was a child.

Mark, who’s now a senior at Oak Park High School, took his first small aircraft flight when he was 16. A friend took him up into the skies and he instantly became hooked on the thrill of flying in a small, maneuverable aircraft.

His goal is to become a commercial airline pilot, but there are plenty of miles to travel before reaching that milestone. He must complete rigorous testing both on the ground and in the air during tomorrow’s all-day exam at Camarillo Airport.

Mark learned his skills in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a single-engine four-seater.

“I feel like I’m going to do well,” Mark said. “All my maneuvers are real comfortable. Now it’s just the studying. There’s lots and lots of studying involved.”

Mark began ground school instruction last year through a CD-ROM computer program offered by Cessna. He went to Camarillo two-to-three times a week for flight training where he eventually earned an endorsement that allowed him to take solo flights to as far away as San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield.

“The instructor gives you an endorsement in your log book, which is kind of like a learner’s permit,” Mark explained. “You’re not allowed to transport passengers and your hours are held to a minimum. You can’t fly over cloud cover and in bad weather, night flying, things like that.”

The training became so involved that he had stop for a while to catch up with his high school studies. But lately he’s been hitting the books again as he gets ready for tomorrow’s big exam.

Last year, Mark paid a visit to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., a four-year university that trains pilots in all areas of aviation and aviation engineering. He told his parents he’d like to go to the school, but counselors advised him to make sure he got his bearings first. He was told to obtain his private license and then perhaps attending a junior college, such as Moorpark.

Once he gets his license, Mark said he wants to become a flight instructor so he can obtain the necessary flying hours to become a commercial pilot.

“It’s not that difficult to fly, it’s the little things you have to know,” Mark said. “The hardest thing to do is watch out for other airplanes. Basically you’re up there and not everybody’s looking out for you. That’s your biggest worry.”

Mark recalls that after his grandfather got his pilot’s license, he took a flight just a few days later and crashed into a field. Fortunately, the grandfather wasn’t hurt.

Mark’s goal by the end of the year is to become instrument-rated, the ability to fly even when conditions eliminate all visibility. At $100 and hour for rentals, flying isn’t cheap. But family is helping out and he’s also saved some money on his own.

Mark said it’s all the hours that are invested that never seem to end.

“It takes a lot of time, but this is the one thing I’m really interested in. I’m really into flying a larger airplane. I can’t wait.”

Good luck to Mark when he revs up his engines tomorrow.

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