When most teens reach the age of 16, the only thing on their minds is getting a driver’s permit, and the only thing on their parents’ minds is fear for their children as they prepare to hit the open road.

The parents of Kyle Carol, who turned 16 Monday, March 30, weren’t wasting time worrying about a driver’s permit, they were instead looking forward to their son flying an airplane by himself, or, as they call it in the world of aeronautics, “soloing.”

“I guess I’m excited about it,” said Kyle Carol, a junior at Mohonasen Central High School.

Carol, who had planned to fly a plane on his own – without his instructor, Steve Davies, by his side – on his birthday, had to postpone it until the next day because of wind.
However, on Tuesday, March 31, he was up in the air, and things were going smoothly.

Carol’s knew he wanted to fly a plane ever since he was 12 years old, according to his father, Kevin Carol.

“He saw a plane go over the house and said he would like to try that some time,” said Kevin Carol.

Father and son discussed a plan, and then Kevin Carol went over to Richmore Aviation where he inquired about flying lessons for his son.

”After about a half hour of inquiry and quite a bit of money, we got all his books and all the stuff he needed,” said Kevin Carol.

There was one thing that could potentially hold Kyle back from his dream of flying a plane, and it wasn’t his age.
“The big thing was if he was big enough – if he could he see over the dashboard,” said Kevin Carol.

Luckily he was. 

The Carols haven’t looked back. Not only has the process of learning to fly taken effort on Kyle’s part, it has also taken the emotional and financial support from his father and mother, Kathy.

And although Kyle can pilot a plane, he still can’t drive a car. Someone has to drive him back and forth from lessons.

“I’m excited for him because we have 100 percent trust in this instructor.  He’s been up with him every time, obviously, and because of his feedback to us I’m very comfortable with Kyle flying a plane on his own,” said Kevin Carol.

Kathy Carol agreed.

“It does get nerve-wracking to know that he’s flying, and I have it in the back of my head, but knowing the instructor he’s with eases me, so you try not to let them know you get nervous but that your trust is in them,” said Kathy Carol.

Kyle Carol flies once or twice every month with his instructor and also has a flight simulator on his computer.

“He’d fly everyday if he could,” said Kevin Carol.

Kyle Carol said he isn’t sure if he wants to become a corporate pilot when he grows up or an engineer, but he said that it will be one or the other. When he’s not flying planes he’s building model ones. The largest he has now is 5 feet, 10 inches long.

“People say, ‘He’s going to have his flying license before his driver’s license,’ and people are amazed,” said Kathy Carol. “Some people are into sports, some people are into aeroscience, and that’s what he wants to do so he’s going for his dream.”
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