RVHS senior Leif U’Ren likes to fly.
The 18-year-old son of Peter and Patti U’Ren, took that interest to the next level this past Sunday afternoon, as he made his first solo flight.
“I guess I was a little nervous,” U’Ren said, “but once you are in the air there are so many things to be concerned about I guess I didn’t really notice it that much.”
U’Ren said it was certainly different not having someone in the seat next to him.
That seat has been filled for the past couple of months by local flight instructor Jackie Venable, who has offered lessons to a few individuals including U’Ren as they prepare for their flying license.
U’Ren said he went on his first flight probably when he was in the second grade, with dad as pilot.
That started his interest in flying, as did several visits to the annual airplane show held in Osh Kosh, Wis.
U’Ren said he had thought about getting his pilot’s license, adding now was a good time.
“With Jackie (Venable) right here I didn’t have to go to Marshall or New Ulm,” U’Ren said. “When the opportunity came up I decided to do it.”
So, this summer, when his friends were out enjoying the weather, U’Ren was taking classes two days a week.
U’Ren said the work wasn’t all that hard, but, he added, there is a lot to learn.
“It’s a big textbook,” he said.
U’Ren said he was one of four people who were taking the class from Venable this past summer.
What started in July with lessons on the inner workings of planes, meteorology and other topics, was completed in late August, which is when U’Ren went up with Venable for the first time.
A series of lessons with her led to Sunday’s big event – that first solo flight.
U’Ren said he went up, did a basic pattern, and then landed. That process was done three times Sunday.
Since then, U’Ren has been back up in the air, and he continues taking lessons from Venable as he works toward earning his license.
Eventually, he is going to be making a cross country flight to another airport, which he is going to do first with Venable and then by himself.
He also has to do a flight in controlled air space.
U’Ren said before he can call himself a licensed pilot, he has to log in 40 hours of flight time, and then he can take the test that would make him a full-fledged licensed pilot.
U’Ren, who is going to graduate from RVHS this spring, said he hopes to have the entire process done within the next year.
“I have always been interested in flying,” U’Ren said. “I think it is the thrill of it that interested me.
“How many people my age can say they have done anything like this?”
Being up in the air is something hard to describe, especially for someone who is in control of the airplane.
U’Ren said for now flying is going to just be a hobby – something he enjoys doing when he can.
