Ryan Sundsmo, EAA 1111698, was destined to solo.
Ryan’s first flight happened before he was even born, while his mother was
pregnant with him.
“When my
mother was pregnant with me, my grandfather would take us for plane rides,”
Ryan said. “After I was born I continued going for plane rides with my
grandfather and eventually I started learning how to control the aircraft with
him.”
Ryan was
also first introduced to EAA by his grandfather, who was part of EAA Chapter
931.
“I
decided to go to a meeting one night and I was hooked from there,” Ryan said.
Fittingly
enough, Ryan’s first solo flight happened in his grandfather’s 1956 Cessna 172
Skyhawk.
“The
winds had died down to just about nothing, it was a high overcast ceiling, a
cool fall day, warm enough to wear shorts but cold enough to wear a jacket,”
Ryan said. “I really enjoyed my solo flight, I instantly got butterflies in my
stomach when my instructor got out of the plane then told me to do three
takeoffs and landings. I was a little bit nervous but I was also very, very
happy and proud of myself to where I had gotten.”
Ryan has
big aspirations for the future. He is currently working toward being able to do
a volunteer airport manager internship at Alexander Field South Wood County
Airport (KISW). Beyond that, Ryan said he doesn’t foresee himself wanting to
have a primary career in aviation, but he wants to one day become a manager on
the side at the airport he says he basically grew up at, Adams County Legion
Field (63C).
Until
then, Ryan still has more aviation milestones he wants to check off his list.
“I plan
on hopefully finishing my private pilot’s license this year, then in the future
getting different ratings like: IFR, tailwheel, high performance, twin, complex
aircraft, CFI, CFII, commercial, and possibly helicopter,” Ryan said. “Those
are the ones I can name off the top of my head but I absolutely want to
continue instruction and ratings after private pilot.”
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.