DC teen becomes one of US's youngest pilots, flies solo
17-year-old licensed pilot Christopher Ballinger shares how he earned his license at such a young age and shares his ambitions of becoming a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
Christopher Ballinger has high ambitions, and he knows the sky's the limit. The 17-year-old pilot recently earned his license to fly single engine land planes and told "Fox & Friends" Thursday that his passion for flying began at a very young age.
"I've always loved heights, I love going on roller coasters," he said. "I've always wanted to see the world and being a pilot is just the perfect path for that."
He went on to describe the intricate process involved with obtaining a pilot's license, specifically pointing out his involvement with programs that allowed him to reach new heights.
Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. December 28, 2021: A Cessna, turboprop aircraft (9 seats) with additional cargo pod to carry more bags ideal for the heavy packer off to enjoy their vacation, is taking off from the Boca Raton Airport. C6-SKY. MFR. Yr: 2015, interior & exterior refurbished in 2017. (iStock)
"I initially allied for something called the Aim High Flight Academy. It's a three-week program which gets you to solo," he said. "From that application, I actually got referred to the Air Force ROTC Flight Academy, which is what I did," he said.
"It was pretty hard… we were in the classroom every day for about two hours, flying for about two hours, studying non-stop. It was a very, very intense training, he added.
The eight-week junior ROTC program allowed Ballinger to obtain his full pilot's license at the earliest age allowed.
Ballinger told Kilmeade he hopes to turn his love for flying into a career and is working on applications to both the United States Air Force Academy and the Naval Academy as well.
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"Both of those are definitely what I'm looking for and so hopefully we get a good response from them."
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