Emilee Ray
Staff Writer
Mira Costa senior Dylan Magleby took in the view of Los Angeles and during his pilot’s license training.
Magleby began his training nine months ago at Hawthorne Airport and will be eligible to receive his license in March. Magleby’s grandfather, a War World II bomber pilot, was a key reason Magleby wanting to learn how to fly, he said.
“Solo flying is terrifying but also incredibly fun and liberating,” Magleby said. “I think that seeing my grandfather make an impact and help the country by flying a plane really motivates me to learn how to do it as well.”
In order to receive a pilot’s license, one must be at least 17 years old and pass a third class medical examination in order to ensure the health of the pilot for safety reasons. After he met these requirements, Magleby underwent a series of trainings to learn how to operate and fly a plane.
“[Learning to fly] was pretty in depth, but after passing the requirements, I just couldn’t wait to finally learn how to fly a plane and get the experience that I so desired,” Magleby said.
His training consists of an online course and a written and oral exam proctored by a Federal Aviation Administration’s examiner. Magleby also will need to go through a pre-flight briefing in which he will actually learn how to fly. After completing the written and oral trainings, Magleby must spend at least 40 hours flying to eventually move onto a check ride with an FAA examiner.
“Although it is a lot, once I get my license [I’ll] have the freedom to fly wherever I want with whoever I want. I’ll know it was completely worth it,” Magleby said.
Magleby has spent 45 hours in the air and five of these flights have been alone. Magleby already feels comfortable flying solo and is excited to see how much he grows as a pilot, he said.
“I would say that 99% of the time actually flying the plane is fairly easy, but the difficulty comes in knowing radio communications, operating procedures for safety and what to do in case of emergency,” Magleby said.
His first solo flight was extremely memorable, Magleby said. Prior to being able to fly solo, Magleby had to sit in the left seat of the plane and become familiar with the different aspects of the airplane, including the airport and the flying environment. Most of this flight was directed by the instructor, but he let Magleby fly the plane a little bit, he said.
“The thing that stuck with me the most is the view,” Magleby said. “Los Angeles from above is one of the most beautiful, crowded [and] chaotic things I’ve ever seen.”
In the future, Magleby plans to study either aerospace or mechanical engineering in college. From there, he will make his decision of whether or not he wants to become a full time pilot or if he wants to keep the skill it as a side hobby.
“I’m a pretty independent person so something about the idea that I could fly to wherever I wanted whenever I wanted without anyone else really appealed to me,” Magleby said.
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