For as long as he can remember this student at Xavier has always wanted to fly. An opportunity has recently presented itself for junior, Kieran Coe to fly and he grasped it. He has been taking flying lessons on the ground, in the classroom and in the air. His ultimate goal is to obtain his private pilot license.

“I have been wanting to fly for a while now and it’s great opportunity,” Kieran said, “I have started doing solo lessons and they’re pretty cool; I enjoy them a lot.”

Solo lessons are a big step in his flying career. This means he recently has started going into the air without an instructor. During solo lessons he is alone in the plane; this creates opportunities that otherwise would be impossible with an instructor in the plane as well. These lessons are a chance for him to branch out in his flying abilities and really test himself. His parents support him, but they can’t help but worry every time he takes off into the air during his solo lessons.

“I’m very excited for him,” Helen Coe, Kieran’s mother said, “It’s well beyond my comfort zone, but I encourage him to pursue his interests.”

Some people would partake in activities because their parents want them to, but Kieran wanted to take flying lessons on his own accord and had to motivate his parents to let him.

“It was all his idea to fly, and Kieran researched and he worked on us until we finally complied, but I wanted to make sure he took ground school before he did any flying, ” Paul Coe, Kieran’s father said. “Kieran’s Uncle Jack always tells him to respect the airplane. He (Jack Coe) once said, ‘There’s old pilots and bold pilots, but there are no old and bold pilots’.”

Kieran encourages everyone “To try flying at some point” and maybe even take lessons.

“If someone is interested in something they should do it: follow your dreams,” Kieran said.

Cody Clemenson

A&E Writer