A.B. Miller student gets diploma and private pilot’s license
Nathan Aguilar, who graduated in the spring from Fontana’s A.B. Miller High School, has not only a high school diploma but also a private pilot’s license.
Aguilar began his aviation training in A.B. Miller’s aviation career technical education pathway.
“The moment Nathan got into the cockpit and went on his first training flight, his goal was to become a pilot,” Jeff Mcglocklin, A.B. Miller aviation teacher, said in a news release.
“Nathan accelerated his studies so that he could take the FAA written test at the end of his first year in class, which normally takes students two years. In his second year, he was already taking flight training, which enabled him to mentor his classmates. Nathan is an inspiration to all our aviation students,” Mcglocklin said.
Aguilar’s pilot’s license allows him to fly any aircraft for which he is appropriately rated. He completed his test by flying a single-engine propeller-based Cessna 150 airplane. His license allows him to fly with friends, fly at night, take a business trip or do sight-seeing.
In his junior year, Aguilar began his flight training as a member of Shades of Blue, a 10-week training course available to A.B. Miller aviation pathway students. Administered by industry professionals, Shades of Blue is designed to inspire students to become commercial airline pilots. Aguilar attended Saturday sessions, learning about airplane theory, weather and other aviation-related topics.
After earning a certificate of completion from the Shades of Blue program, Aguilar joined the Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles program, which gave him his first experience in a single-engine propelled airplane.
He received a $10,000 EAA Buko scholarship in
June 2022 and used the scholarship to pay for flight school. He enrolled in a Part 61 flight school and logged nearly 60 hours in the air, learning how to take off, touch down and manage altitude, as well as required air maneuvers such as stall exercises, S-turns and soft field landings.
Though Aguilar has earned a private pilot’s license, he is not yet looking to become a professional pilot. His plan for the coming school year is to attend Cal State San Bernardino to study business, and he looks forward to taking his family on plane rides, according to the news release.
“I like being in the air and being in control of an airplane. Having the freedom to fly an airplane is an amazing feeling,” Aguilar said in the news release. “I want to take my family out and show them what I’ve learned.”
“Nathan’s success means the world to me. It is a big boost for the program,” Mcglocklin said in the news release. “We have two more students who are preparing to take their aviation tests.
A.B. Miller High School’s two-year aviation program serves as a flight training school and includes a pilot training class, an airline mechanic class and a flight simulator lab. The pathway gives students access to aerospace professionals and other programs dedicated to fostering careers in aviation.