Andrew Brown: Navigating the Skies

For most MAMS seniors, their senior independent study project looks like research in a lab or exploring a creative hobby. For Andrew Brown, it meant strapping into the cockpit of a Van's RV-12iS and learning how to fly.

So far, Andrew has logged 25 dual-instructed hours and 5 solo hours, learning maneuvers like stalls, steep turns, slow flight, takeoffs, and landings to a test-ready level. He has also completed both a short and long cross-country flight, 50 and 150 nautical miles respectively, and is now preparing for his first solo cross-country, a major milestone in any student pilot's journey. While the FAA minimum is 40 total hours with at least 20 solo, it typically takes closer to 80 to learn all the required concepts. Each flight builds on the last, and with every hour in the air, he gets closer to his private pilot certificate. What makes this journey even more remarkable is that the plane he trains in is one he helped build himself, long before he thought he'd be the one flying it. "The fact that I was flying something that I had a hand in assembling was such a special experience," Andrew mentioned. Getting to work side by side, fitting pieces together in the garage, gave Andrew a close-up understanding of the aircraft that most student pilots never get. 

Other than learning how to control an aircraft, to Andrew, getting his pilot's license was more about spending time with his family. "To me this SISP was more of an excuse to spend time with my grandfather," Andrew said. His grandfather is a private pilot himself and is licensed to help others get their license as well, serving as Andrew's mentor throughout the entire process. Having that kind of guidance from someone he looks up to makes the experience feel less like schoolwork and more like something genuinely worth showing up for.

At the end of the day, Andrew's project is a good reminder that a SISP is the perfect opportunity to do something you truly care about. For Andrew, that meant choosing a project rooted in family and a shared love of flight. And if all goes well, he'll finish the year not just with a completed project, but with a license that lets him take to the skies.