With Chamblee High School being so close to PDK airport, many planes fly over students’ heads every day.
Pilots are crucial to society in many ways as they transport so many things (and people) around the world. Some students are already on their way to achieving their pilot’s license.
However, obtaining a license requires a significant amount of hard work and commitment. Students remarked on the requirements, stating pilots need instrument ratings, which is a certification that allows pilots to fly in harsh conditions by relying solely on the aircraft’s instruments, not visual references,
“It takes around 250 hours to earn your commercial license,” said Elijah Rajaratnam (‘26). “You have to have at least two instrument ratings, and a private pilot’s license, [which is acquired by] flying smaller aircraft. To get a job in the airlines, you need at least 1000-2000 hours of logged flying experience.”
Luckily, many aspiring pilots can get their private pilot’s license at a young age.
“You can get your pilot’s license when you turn 16… That means you can fly alone in a plane,” said Nicholas Jovanovic (‘27).
While the process of obtaining your pilot’s license may be excruciatingly long, the qualifications in order to start are quite simple.
“As long as you learn everything, and you’re not colorblind, [you can get your license],” said Jovanovic.
The difficulties of becoming a pilot, however, mainly stem from the fact that pilots not only have to understand the operation of the plane, but also must be able to adapt to in-flight situations.
“You have to stay committed and truly understand the plane you’re flying, as there are many tests such as medical exams, instrument tests, and even flying tests themselves, including solo flights,” said Rajaratnam.
The long hours of school and learning also make getting a license much harder.
“It takes a long time to get through flight school and stuff, especially if you go to a popular school like Embry-Riddle,” said Camille Avery.
If a student were to want to become a naval pilot, the process is a little more complicated.
“The military process of becoming an aviator in the Navy specifically includes first going to college to receive a degree, then commissioning as an Officer after either attending the Naval Academy, being in college ROTC, or attending Officer Candidate School,” said Jonas Maender (‘26). “After that, Officers can go to naval flight school to try to earn a spot as a pilot or naval flight officer.”
With all these hardships and difficulties involved, one thing that drives these students to become pilots is the different influences in their lives.
“My dad always took me to the airport every weekend when I was little. His dad was a pilot in the air force, [as well as] a commercial pilot,” said Rajaratnam, “My dad’s best friend is also a pilot, and he has been giving advice and guidance on becoming a pilot.”
On the other hand, some students are inspired by personal enjoyment.
“I played a lot of video games involving planes. I fell in love with it at a young age because I would go on planes often and I enjoyed it a lot,” said Sasha Zilber (‘29).
Some students may be inspired by both family influences and personal interests.
“I got into flying first through my military interest,” said Maender.”My dad and uncle both served as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army, and I was always inspired to do the same. I then found out specifically about naval aviation, which made my military and aviation interests bloom.”
These students don’t just do all this for fun; most of them are on their way to getting a job as a pilot.
“My dream job is to be a pilot for a corporate company,” said Avery.
Fortunately, pilots are currently in high demand.
“Right now, if you have all of your hours, there’s a shortage of pilots, so you’ll most likely get a job,” said Jovanovic.
If students at any age want to start piloting, there is a simple pathway to take.
“If you go to Centennial Aviation Academy at the Peachtree DeKalb Airport, they have a lot of discovery flights, youth pilot academies, and summer camps where you can fly at the end of the camp,” said Zilber.
Overall, learning how to fly can be both daunting and time consuming. However, multiple Chamblee students have already begun the process of obtaining their pilots license, indicating that it is an achievable goal.
