I am Alex Curle. I am 14, and I fly with a few different people, but I obviously do not have my PPL, and I'm not an official pilot but I fly a few different planes. The 2 most common are a 1979 Beech 58P-325, usually night flights with a friend of mine with a part 135 charter company.(hauling parts for pinnacle airlines CRJ2/7/9.) When we are empty, like going to pick up a part/passenger or returning to Tennessee, I fly the plane. I do not fly it while we are under Part 135, like the legs that we are hauling something due to federal law. The other person I fly with is Max Grogan, who is a great mentor for flying skills and general aircraft ownership. A special thank you goes to him for letting me fly his wonderful 1972 V35B Bonanza and giving me the honor of flying in the left seat in the very near future. That's pretty much it.

Alex- if you fly, you're a pilot! Way to go.

Alex,

Welcome to BT. Sounds like you have found a few great mentor pilots. Keep at it, and I am sure you will get you PPL on your 17th Birthday!

Tim

Alex......you won't find any better than Max......continue to fly and work towards that PPL.

Some guys your age get a few flights in and go on to something else.

You, my friend, are a future pilot. No doubt.

And two incredible opportunities! Welcome. Have fun!

Awesome intro bud!

Wish I lived closer to Max he is a very special person.

alex,
you are blessed to have these fine folks in your life. you remind me of my son who at 14-15 was handling the controls of my a36 and now at 36 yrs. of age handles the controls of a 747-400. keep your focus, wishing you the best .
gary

Alex,

I wish I had started at your age. Bravo!

Alex,

The next few years are going to fly by... It is time to define some goals. Maybe soloing on your 16th Birthday, Private by 17... Maybe some glider flying... Figure out what your goals are, not what somebody else tells you they should be, clarify them, and set out on your mission.

Then find a picture that embodies that goal. A picture of an airplane that you want to fly is a great one. Put it next to the door leaving your bedroom... Right next to the light switch maybe and look at it everyday when you leave your room.

Start every day with the thought of making some small step that moves you closer to that goal... Mowing the neighbors lawn for money, whatever it might be, move closer every day....

Nothing in the world is more motivating that a clearly defined objective... If you can see it in your mind, almost nothing can keep you from your goal... Others will see your focus and determination and they will invest in your success... (it sounds like they already have...)

Good Luck....

Doug, those are great words for Alex or anyone else!

Alex,

Welcome to BT! I know you already have a great mentor in Max, and it sounds like your friend with the P Baron is another.

Here on BeechTalk, you will find many more.

Welcome Alex! Keep up the good work!

Great intro Alex! Welcome aboard. As others have said, Max is a stellar mentor (and ambassador for general aviation) and bravo to him for taking you under his wing.

I was also fortunate to have a handful of mentors and aviation friends help me out in my career and I now do my best to give back in the same way when possible. I was just like you at your age (logged many hours on Microsoft Flight Simulator and read everything possible about aviation). I worked at the local flight school when I was 16 which allowed me to solo that year. I then pumped avgas at the local airport in college (along with several other jobs and internships) to help me finish up the rest of my ratings before college graduation. I'm now enjoying a great career at a major airline and also still fly Bonanzas as well.

Let me know if you'd ever like to talk on the phone or email about aviation career stuff. I'd be happy to give you my views based on my experiences (and they are worth the price you paid for it of course). I also have friends in all aspects of the industry (corporate, charter, military, etc) so I'm sure I could put you in touch with someone who may do what you want to do (if it isn't the airlines, etc).

-Neal

Welcome to BT Alex!

Sounds like you are on the right track!

Welcome aboard Alex.
You are blessed to have Max as your mentor.
Doug gave you some great advice.
Set some very specific goals that will help you towards what it is you want to do in life.
You are already a pilot. You're just missing a piece a paper right now. Actually it's plastic.
You will earn that; you are already well on your way.
Always remember this acronym for goals. It will come in handy in whatever you do: school, sports, etc.
Goals have to be SMART.
S stands for specific. Not: I want to do better. But: I want to decrease my time in the 100 m free style by 1 second.
M is for measurable. See above. Have goals that can be measured.
A is for actionable. That means something you can actually do. I want to stop the war in Afghanistan is not really actionable by you.
R is for realistic. I want to earn 10 million dollars by age 18 is not really realistic.
And finally T is time constrained. By when will you achieve this goal. Even if you miss it, you still need to set a deadline, otherwise it's just a dream

S M A R T

Welcome Alex. I look forward to meeting you one day.