16-year-old makes first solo flight
A student from Oldbury Wells had an eventful week last week as he completed his first solo flight in the same week as he turned 16.
Kieran Wellings flew a single-engine twin-seater Cessna 152 solo from The Flying School at Halfpenny Green Airport last Saturday, September 25, just five days after his 16th birthday.
In between times he had to pass a full medical fitness test on Wednesday in order to get the go-ahead to take off.
Kieran said: "I've actually been flying for about two years, but this was my first solo flight.
"I was in the air for about 15 minutes. I took off, climbed to an altitude of about 600 feet, did what is called a box route and then landed again at Halfpenny facing the same direction as I started."
Given that this was his first time being up in the aircraft alone, a non-pilot might expect that there would be more chatter between the tower and the aircraft, but Kieran needed no extra help.
He said: "It is all very formal and everything by the book. We weren't saying anything that an experienced pilot and the tower wouldn't say.
"But at the end they did say congratulations to me, and I really appreciate that.
"It was amazing. It felt really weird being up by myself."
Kieran is gearing up for his school exams next May, but already has his heart set on a career as a commercial pilot after he has learned his craft in the Cessna.
"It is a very nice plane, you can throw it about a bit and it is very easy to control," Kieran said. It will be a far cry from the large commercial jets he is sure to take control of in the future, but that will take many more hours of flying time and many more exams.
"I think you have to build it up step by step. You go to a twin engine first, then keep stepping up," he said.
Over the past two years of flying he has already had to pass a series of exams - one on air law, one on operational procedures and another on human performance - all while clocking up around 23 hours of flight time.
"I learned about air law, operational procedures, which is what to do in the event of a fire for example, and human performance - how the human body behaves at altitude," Kieran explained.
Kieran is already well ahead of the game if he wants to become a commercial pilot, having begun training at just 14 years old. He is allowed to fly the aircraft solo, but will not be eligible for his pilot's licence until his 17th birthday.
