With a last name like Wright, it’s no surprise Harrison, a recent Elizabethton High School graduate, just took his first solo flight over his hometown. On Friday, July 15, he became the fifth student in the history of the school’s Aeronautics Program to fly solo.
After hours of simulated flights in EHS’s FMX Flight Simulator and dual flights in Watauga Eagles Association’s Cessna 172, Wright took off and landed solo at Elizabethton Municipal Airport.
As first-time pilot-in-command, at 2,600 feet above ground, Wright said the flight couldn’t have gone better.
“It went just as smooth as can be, and it was basically the perfect day,” he said. “The only unexpected thing was the plane was lighter, and the traffic pattern was shorter.”
EHS’s four-course program educates students about everything from aviation history and instruments to operation and high-risk decision making. The advanced fourth class involves hours in an FMX flight simulator in which instructor Dan Mills tests each student’s ability to react appropriately to weather changes, plane and instrument failure and other scenarios.
“Having the simulator makes everything a lot more hands-on and it seems like you can put every situation to the test,” Wright said.
So when he began flying a real plane, the transition was seamless.
Mills said EHS was the first high school in the nation to acquire an FMX simulator, thanks to the foresight of former superintendent Ed Alexander. The machine can simulate any airport in the world with a 200-degree field of vision.
By the time EHS students complete the aviation program, they will have already had the opportunity to review all 800 questions on the FAA private pilot license exam data base. However, many choose to wait to take the FAA exam because a pilot must have completed all the required flight training and check ride within two years of taking the exam.
Since the program began in 2009, two students have gone on to become pilots: Jordan Simmerly and Garrett Church. Whether or not they become pilots, fly solo, or don’t fly at all, Mills said the program teaches valuable skills like risk evaluation, decision-making and the importance of students discovering their passions.
“It’s a fun program,” Mills said. “They don’t all stick with it, but I encourage them to find something they enjoy and are passionate about.”
Wright said he will begin the Nursing Program at East Tennessee State University in the fall, but that he hopes to get his pilot license in the future.
“I have a heart for aviation and would like to revisit it later, which is why I wanted to do this — to see if I would want to do later in life,” he said. “It was a great experience.”
Wright’s father, West Side Principal John Wright, said he is very proud of his son’s accomplishment and thankful he was able to participate in the program.
“As a parent, I am extremely thrilled that my son was able to have this opportunity to do a solo flight,” he said. “Not many people can say they have been able to solo in a plane, especially at eighteen years of age. Whether or not he chooses to pursue a career in aviation, this will be a huge confidence builder as he heads into his next phase of life.”
The EHS Aeronautics Program has developed exponentially under the guidance and dedication of Mills. In 2013, Mills was invited by the Tennessee Department of Education to help rewrite the aviation standards for schools across the state. Along with his expertise, community partnerships have been vital for the program’s success. The solo training flights are made possible through partnerships with the Watauga Eagles Association and Pilot Ken Brumit, and with the F.L.I.G.H.T. Program and founder Pilot Lt. Col. Bill Powley.