Andre Thom, 16, made his first solo flight last month
By Tony Burchyns Staff Writer
Morgan Hill – For most 16-year-old boys, getting a driver’s license is top priority. For Andre Thom, going more than 100 mph at altitudes of 1,200 to 3,000 feet came first.
Thom, a Morgan Hill resident, has been taking flying lessons at Ocean Air Flight Services in Watsonville since he was 12. On Aug. 31, he made his first solo flight.
“I’ve flown a plane before I’ve even pushed down on the gas pedal of a car,” Thom said. “It’s kind of cool.”
It’s also rare.
Thom’s instructor, Josh Pavlovich, said it’s uncommon for teenagers to fly by themselves. In his experience as a teacher, he’s only known three student pilots as young as Thom who’ve done it.
“It just doesn’t happen that often, for people that age,” Pavlovich said. “It’s not an impossible task, but it definitely shows dedication to getting something done.”
The minimum age for a student pilot to make a solo flight is 16.
Thom said he wasn’t at all nervous when the big day came.
“I had been ready for a long time,” said the bright, soft-spoken teenager.
Thom booked more than 50 hours of flight time with his instructors, who took a hands-off approach. The minimum amount of hours required for a solo flight is 25.
“I’ve been doing my landings and take-offs and going in a pattern for a very long time now,” he said.
When he was 12, Thom noticed a sign by the Watsonville Municipal Airport that said “Kids Fly Free.” He bugged his dad about it, and they discovered pilots at the airport offering demonstration flights to youngsters. After Thom’s first ride, he was hooked.
His parents didn’t know how to respond when he asked for flying lessons. It sounded risky.
“I wasn’t sure at the time,” said Bob Thom, Andre’s dad. “But he really wanted to do it.”
At the time, Thom was no stranger to big accomplishments. He had learned self-discipline and focus while getting a black belt in Karate – at age 9.
“I really had to want it,” Thom said of his martial arts training, which taught him to break three-inch pieces of cement. “I really had to try. And, looking back on that, I can use that in flying. If I do the work … pay attention to my instructor, I can do it. I can become a pilot.”
A junior at Monte Vista Christian School in Watsonville, Thom looks forward to enrolling at the Air Force or Naval academy to become a fighter pilot. If that doesn’t work out, he said he’d go to a different college, major in business and look for aviation-related career paths.
“Flying will last me for a long time,” he said. “I can fly into my 70s, if I’m in good shape.”
So, what do his friends at school say about his aerial ambitions?
“They say, ‘Oh, you’re lucky.’ It’s like, ‘Screw driving, flying is cooler!’ ” he laughed.
In preparation for his first solo flight, Pavlovich routinely pop quizzed his young student on flying procedures. For example, he made sure Thom knew what to do if a bird was coming straight at him, or if another plane was flying nearby.
Before he could pilot the single-engine Piper Cherokee alone, Thom had to pass a written test.
“It had everything I would probably go through in a scenario while I solo,” he said.
Thom spent every other day flying so he wouldn’t be rusty.
“I had done once-a-month (flights) for years,” he said.
Thom still has a ways to go before getting his full pilot’s license. He’s currently restricted to circling the landing strip.
Which raises the question – has he taken driver’s ed yet?
“I started kind of late,” he said with a smile. “I think next month I can test for my driver’s license.”
