Soar the Skies with Sparks: Senior Learns to Fly
By Baneen Rizvi, Tompkins High School Sophomore
The bright blue sky surrounds him, a great feeling of freedom engulfs senior Caleb Sparks’s mind while he maneuvers the plane around the palpable and puffy clouds. The view of the ground he was on not so long ago is visible, tiny pinpricks of buildings and cars laying among the canvas of greens and blues below as he flies by. The young pilot’s face is plastered with a smile as he and his instructor fly the plane around and around. For some, the experience may be nerve-wracking, but it is a surreal joy for Sparks.
With his love for challenges and adventure, Sparks always had an interest in aviation from a young age and had chosen it as his dream career path. With the help of neighbor and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Looser, Sparks even got to explore the Air Force Base Looser was working on. From that day forward, Sparks knew what he wanted to be - a fighter pilot for the Air Force - and started flight lessons towards the end of his junior year.
“That day I was able to see what the Air Force was really like. I had the pleasure of meeting an astronaut, running a battle strategy simulator, sitting in an assembly meeting and piloting a flight simulator,” Sparks said. “I went back home with the biggest smile on my face and an amazing experience that has molded my passion to pursue the Air Force. If it weren’t for Andrew, I might not have the same passion about what I want to do.”
Since Sparks had started his flight journey, it has been a long and difficult process, but one Sparks has also enjoyed. Sparks began lessons in a program at the AIM HIGH Flight Academy. AIM HIGH is a scholarship program funded by the US Air Force that intends to inform, influence and inspire the younger generation to pursue a career in the Air Force. More than 2,000 applied, with only 72 people selected, including Sparks. Those selected were invited to attend one of three sessions that lasted three weeks over the summer and included 24 student pilots.
“Given my excitement and readiness to get started, I requested to join the first summer session and moved to Milton, Florida, less than one week after the conclusion of my junior year. At AIM HIGH, I was able to earn 15 hours toward my PPL in a Cessna 172, enhance my leadership skills taught by Air Force officers, and get up close to a KC-135 and an F-35,” Sparks said. “At the end of the program, only the most qualified student pilots gained approval to solo their aircraft. On June 15, 2022, I successfully soloed my Cessna 172.”
During flight lessons, Sparks first started flying with flight instructor Scott Cavalcante who taught him all the basics. After learning from Cavalcante, Sparks went on to doing maneuvers such as stalls, steep turns and slow flight. After learning all the maneuvers, Cavalcante took Sparks for a test flight to make sure he knew everything before flying by himself. Once he passed, Sparks was free to solo around the surrounding area. For Sparks, flying is the best experience.
“Flying is peaceful to me. I truly feel no burden when I’m up in the air. It’s just me, other pilots in the area, and the endless blue sky,” Sparks said. “Another reason is [that] it feeds my sense of adventure. I get to see new things every time I fly. Also, I love the community of other pilots. They all have a common interest with one another. I have never met a mean pilot.”
Now that he has passed his test flight, Sparks has an oral exam, written test and check ride left. So far, Sparks has completed his required flying hours. After completing the other tests, Sparks will go on to become a certified pilot. Overall, Sparks is confident and excited to achieve this milestone for his future career despite the difficulty and time it took to accomplish this journey.
“I’m one to find satisfaction through memories and experiences, so flying is just right for me. I am confident I will be a pilot in less than a month and I am super excited,” Sparks said. “The process was long and difficult but absolutely worth it.”
Source: Tompkins High School Journalism Department
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