Seventeen-year-old Caleb Huett of Elizabeth, Arkansas completed his first solo flight at the Melbourne Municipal Airport on October 19, 2017. Caleb makes the twelfth Ozarka College student to complete the solo flight. He plans to earn an Associate of Science degree in Aviation - Professional Pilot and then fly cargo for a major airline.

Caleb shared that he loved flying remote controlled model airplanes when he was younger and that is what sparked his interest in flying. When asked about his solo flight, he said, "It was amazing! Very nerve racking, but truly an extraordinary moment. " Ozarka College Flight Instructor, Tim Ambrose said, "Caleb did a great job, even when the wind shifted and he had to switch runways mid-solo. "

Prior to taking a solo flight, students are required to receive and log flight training for maneuvers and procedures ranging from proper flight preparation procedures to emergency procedures and equipment malfunctions. Additionally, they have to pass an aeronautical knowledge test. Upon completing solo flights, students begin flying to larger airports with an instructor. Just prior to certification, students will fly solo to the Little Rock Airport.

For more information about flight training or the aviation program, please visit fly.ozarka.edu or call John Catlett, Aviation Director and Flight Instructor at Ozarka College, at 870.368.7926.