Braden Hobbs, EAA 1206457, recently passed his private pilot checkride, not long after his 17th birthday. Braden soloed when he was 16, thanks to the support of a group called the High Country Aviation Workshop for Kids (HAWK.) HAWK is an extension of EAA Chapter 800 in Grand Junction, Colorado, that offers hands-on building, restoration, and flight training opportunities for interested young people. Braden is currently working on his instrument rating as well his private pilot lighter-than-air (balloon) certificate.
Braden is the first of the HAWK group to finish his private certificate, and traveled to AirVenture Oshkosh in 2017 with several other young people to represent their organization. You can read more about Braden and the HAWK program in the April, 2018 issue of EAA Sport Aviation magazine.
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.