By Robb Templeton, EAA 605533
Ben Templeton turned 16 on March 29, 2019. He started flying
in a car seat and had a headset at age 3 — and was able to solo on his 16th
birthday.
This accomplishment has been a lifelong goal and the weather
could not have been more perfect. Ben’s traditional flight school teaches in a
Cessna 172, which he soloed before school. In the afternoon, he soloed what he
calls a real airplane, a 1947 Piper J-3 Cub.
Ben has more tailwheel experience than he does tricycle
gear. His logbook is to be envied by almost any pilot; even at his young age
Ben has been introduced to aircraft such as Van’s RV-6, Pitts S-2, J-3 Cub,
Lockwood AirCam, PT-17 Stearman, PT-26, BT-13, and the coveted P-51 Mustang.
Ben’s passion for aviation goes beyond full-scale aircraft
as he is also an avid RC pilot. He is an instructor for the Triple Tree
Aerodrome Aviation Centered Education Program, which introduces kids to
aviation. This program has been instrumental in his development of full-scale
and RC aircraft. Ben has recently been invited to the International Miniature
Aerobatic Club (IMAC) Championships in Muncie, Indiana, later this summer.
To accomplish so much at such a young age requires a lot of help. While Ben has worked the last several summers at The Triple Tree Aerodrome (SC00) to earn money for flying lessons and RC aircraft, it’s never enough. The generous people at Triple Tree have been very gracious and have contributed to his success in aviation.
Ben is also applying for the AOPA Foundation Scholarship,
which helps exceptional high school students achieve their goals in flight
training. To further his passion for flying, Ben would like to attend one of
the U.S. military service academies. He is currently in the Junior ROTC program
at J.L. Mann High School in Greenville, South Carolina.
This is a very driven young man when it comes to aviation,
and I am sure he will achieve his goal of one day becoming a military or
commercial pilot, if not both!
Have you
reached a milestone recently? Passed a checkride, given your first or hundredth
Young Eagle flight, flown your homebuilt for the first time? Tell us about it
at editorial@eaa.org.