Congratulations to Eli Aiken, an 11th grader who recently passed his FAA checkride and now officially holds his pilot's license. This is more than simply an impressive personal achievement; he has earned the initial industry certification for those seeking a career in aviation as a professional pilot, a career path Eli has been exploring.
Eli attended the Youth in Aviation summer camp as a camper in 2022 and assisted with camp the next two summers, teaching lessons and demonstrations to the younger groups. Youth in Aviation is a free organization in the community, and the summer camp is open to students grades 4-12. It runs out of the Jimmy Stewart Airport. The airport is also home to Innovative Aviation flight school, which Eli has flown with since 2022.
At school, Eli is dually enrolled with Community College of Beaver County’s (CCBC) high school aviation academy. CCBC is a new dual enrollment opportunity for IASD this year. Eli has also been a member of the Aviation Club at the senior high for three years, which is led by Erik Puskar and community volunteer, Nathaniel Arthurs.
Age 17 is the earliest that someone can earn their private pilot’s license, and Eli is well on his way to achieving his dream of becoming a corporate pilot!