Flight Science student earns wings

Tyler Head, a graduate of the Sisters High School Flight Science program, earned his FAA Private Pilot Certificate last week.

Head's interest in aviation began when a friend of the family and Sisters resident, Blake Weber, took Head for a flight in his Cessna 170 from Sisters to Minam River Lodge for breakfast. An avid backcountry pilot, Weber showed Head the scenic views from the peaks of the Cascades to secret fishing spots only accessible by backcountry planes near Joseph, Oregon.

"I was hooked on flying after that trip," Head recalled.

Anxious to begin the process of becoming a pilot, Head, then a junior at Sisters High School, signed up for the Flight Science class, which was becoming a popular offering in its second year. The teacher at the time, Jon Renner, organized Young Eagles flights for all the students in the class. Seven pilots of the Sisters Airport EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) chapter provided flights at no cost. Among them were SHS senior and newly licensed pilot Cammi Benson flying her family's Cessna 182, and her father, Benny Benson, co-owner of the Sisters Airport, flying the newly acquired Outlaw Aviation Cessna 172 making its debut Young Eagles flights.

Flying with Benny, Head got his first experience at the airplane's controls while he listened to the radio transmissions between the two airborne Bensons, and it was clear how much fun they were both having sharing their passion for aviation with the students. Inspired by the idea of making aviation a family activity like the Bensons and Webers, Tyler's father, Nile, made the commitment to support Tyler and his twin brother Tanner in learning to fly by purchasing their own plane.

"I've always wanted to fly, and wanted to be a pilot as a career. But growing up, my family couldn't afford for me to go through flight training. It just wasn't an option for me," said Nile.

Both Tyler and Tanner were awarded Enrichment Experience scholarships from The Roundhouse Foundation to use for their initial flight training.

"That was absolutely the game-changer, financially," said Nile. "I penciled it out. If all three of us can earn our private pilot licenses, buying our own plane would pay for itself. With our own plane, we'd only have to pay for CFI instruction time, and not airplane rental."

After an extensive search, the Heads eventually became the owners of their own Cessna 170. They envisioned all three of them training in it, earning their private certificates, and then flying to many remote backcountry fishing trips.

Tyler and Tanner began using their Roundhouse scholarships taking flight lessons in their new 170 with Sisters-based CFI (Certificated Flight Instructor) Brian Lansburgh, who also took over teaching the Flight Science class at SHS after Renner retired. But last winter's "snowmageddon" caused the roof of the Head's hangar to collapse, completely destroying the airplane. Undeterred, while searching for another plane to buy, Tyler continued a second year in the SHS Flight Science program, with CFI Sheryl Yeager as the new teacher.

"Preparing for the FAA written test required a lot more studying than I thought," he said.

The Heads eventually purchased a second plane, a Cessna 140 this time. Tyler then resumed flight lessons with Outlaw Aviation's new CFI, Sam Monte. Tyler intensified his studies by attending the weekly Outlaw Aviation ground school with CFI Walt Lasecki. He passed the FAA written test, and began preparing to take the final tests required for his private rating, the rigorous knowledge and practical evaluations. The evaluations must be performed by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE).

"The knowledge test is a three-hour oral evaluation, and typically where students fail, so we prepare the students extensively on every subject they might be asked," said Lasecki. "Studying for the knowledge test was grueling, but it made the actual test easy," noted Head.

The practical portion of the exam is an in-flight evaluation of the student's skills physically flying the airplane.

Because Tyler used his own airplane which has a tail-wheel configuration of landing gear, also known as a "tail-dragger," the DPE had to be certified for tail-wheel aircraft. These airplanes are more difficult to control than a traditional "nose-wheel" airplane like the Cessna 172, especially during landing, and require additional training and a specific endorsement.

The problem is - there aren't any tail-wheel DPEs in Central Oregon.

Lasecki had to search extensively for a qualified DPE to give Head his knowledge and practical evaluations in his Cessna 140.

He finally found David Koebel from Hood River who agreed to fly his own plane to Sisters, and the date of the test was set for several weeks away.

And then winter made a snowy arrival in Sisters. Head spent most of his preparation time studying charts and manuals rather than flying his airplane.

"It worked out fine for Tyler," said Monte. "The flying part is easy for him. He needed to study more than he needed to log more flight hours."

The day of the evaluations, known to the pilot community as the "checkride," began as Koebel adeptly landed his plane at the snowy Sisters Airport. Watching the landing, Head knew he would have to demonstrate equally proficient skills in order to pass and earn his private pilot certificate. After greetings and introductions, Monte and Lasecki left them at the Outlaw Aviation hangar for several hours of the oral knowledge test.

"Tyler was nervous, but I think Walt and I were even more nervous," Monte said. As the first SHS Flight Science student to be taking their checkride under their tutelage, they were anxious to find out if the collaboration between Outlaw Aviation and SHS was adequate to produce a proficient teenage pilot.

The Sisters Airport presents its own set of situational challenges, including a short runway, with a hill at one end, and a fence and road at the other, and unpredictable cross-winds.

Add to that the challenging winter weather, not to mention flying a tail-wheel airplane, the conditions were as difficult as they could possibly be.

According to Koebel's comments after Head successfully completed both the knowledge and practical components of the test, SHS and Outlaw Aviation are preparing "very well-qualified pilots." After two and a half years of dedicated studying and persevering through airplane setbacks, Tyler Head passed his checkride with flying colors, and earned his FAA Private Pilot certificate.

Head is currently attending Central Oregon Community College (COCC) pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree in the Aviation Professional Pilot Airplane program. Having achieved his private pilot rating outside of the COCC curriculum, he can apply for credit for the private pilot courses and labs (flight time) that would normally be required for the degree. He has already started training for his instrument pilot certification with Monte and Lasecki at Outlaw Aviation in their new FAA-certified simulator. Once he passes his instrument checkride, he will receive credit for the instrument courses and labs, further reducing the classes he needs to take at COCC for his aviation degree.

As a SHS graduate, he also takes advantage of the Oregon Promise which covers part of his tuition expenses for classes at COCC. As a private pilot, he is eligible to interview with Alaska/Horizon Airlines for the commercial pilot incentives, including flight training scholarships and signing bonuses. His goal is to become a commercial airline pilot.

"We are so grateful for the support Tyler's had learning to fly here," said Nile Head.

"The aviation community at Sisters is really special.

It's so supportive, like it used to be when I was a kid and my dad would take me to the little community airport, and the pilots would be so friendly when we walked up to their hangars.

You just don't see that anymore.

But you do at Sisters.

The neighborhood pilots that bring their own planes out to fly the students, the teachers at the high school, the Roundhouse donors, the July 4th fly-in, the CFIs and other students at Outlaw Aviation.

They're all over-the-top encouraging.

We're very lucky to have this traditional aviation culture, right here in Sisters."