May 17, 2004
SON LEADS FATHER TO FLIGHT
Newly-licensed private pilot Sean Counts is responsible for his dad, Michael, earning his license as well. The story goes like this. Sean, now a junior at West Port High School, lives with his family at Leeward Air Ranch. He has known he wanted to fly since he was 11 or 12 years old. He started out being interested in radio-controlled model airplanes, and approached his father about flying models. Michael said he’d "fly a real airplane first." So he did!
Michael started taking lessons, but such factors as his work schedule, weather, etc. caused stop-and-start training. Eventually he ended up buying a Cessna 172, then began flying to and from Gilbert Field in Winter Haven from his home in Ocala to finish up his training. This was a good way to build time and practice what he was learning. He earned his license about four and a half years ago.
When he was old enough, Sean started taking lessons, too, soloing last April 10th, on his 16th birthday! In fact, his mom, Sandy, said, "Sean, on his 16th birthday last year, got his driver’s license that morning, drove his sister, Candace, to school with him, and then soloed in a Cessna 172 that afternoon." Last month, on his 17th birthday, Sean passed his checkride for his private pilot’s certificate. He did so well, in fact, that "the examiner said that Sean was one of the best and most well-prepared people he had tested," said his mom. And his mom, very supportive of her son’s success in his love of flying, was his first
passenger!
Dad may have beat his son in getting his license, but it looks like the tables may be turned soon. Sean is already working on his instrument rating, then will do his commercial, with plans to make aviation his career. Once he graduates from high school next year he hopes to attend Jacksonville University, majoring in aviation management, a business degree. With his basic ratings behind him, and that degree in hand, he will be set up perfectly to step into employment in his chosen field. In fact, Jacksonville University offers a program with a guaranteed interview with CommAir or the Delta Connection.
Meanwhile Sean and Michael are working on their IFR rating together in the family 172. Don Kronen, another Leeward resident, is their instructor. Kronen saw a note on the community bulletin board a couple of years ago, before the Counts family had even thought about moving to the air ranch. The notice asked if anyone would be interested in giving flight instruction to a "serious-minded 15-year-old who was aviation career oriented." Sean was that 15 year old, and under Kronen’s instruction, he is well on his way to becoming a professional pilot. But that’s still a few years away for this youngster.
Looking ahead, mom Sandy Counts says that since Sean and Candace attend West Port High School, and "West Port is out close to the airport, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think they may ‘fly’ to school one day."
Now wouldn’t that be something!
JUMBOLAIR ESTATES HANGAR-HOME CELEBRATED
What a thrill to read about a local airpark home as the cover story in a glossy magazine with national distribution! There was a wonderful piece in the April issue of Architectural Digest on John Travolta and Kelly Preston’s new living space for them and their family …and their two airplanes. Many of us have seen it from above, afar, or in the aerial photo that’s been floating around the internet for months, but now we get to be inside some of the rooms. And such rooms! We welcome the Travolta family to our aviation neighborhood!