SOTM: Jake Vap Is Setting His Post-Graduate Sights Sky-High . . . Literally

Most teenagers are worrying about getting their license to drive a car. Senior Jake Vap is setting his sights much higher. Jake wants to follow in the footsteps of his father, who flew jet fighters in the Air Force.

For two years Jake has been flying and has completed 74 hours and needs 6.7 solo hours before he can attempt his checkride - a practical test a person must take to get a piloting license. There is no age requirement for training for a piloting license. A person must be sixteen to do a solo flight and seventeen to get a private license. 

Jake has completed takeoffs, landings, and a 50-mile trip, which includes a flight to another airport with a line distance of 50 nautical miles. To acquire a piloting license, a person must pass a written test on aeronautical knowledge, weather protocols, and emergency procedures. The practical requirements include day and night takeoffs and landings, performance maneuvers, simulated instrument conditions, day and night cross country, and ten and five hours of solo cross country. 

When in the air, Jake has “never really been scared or worried.” He once got cut off during a final landing by another plane and “had to abort the landing and go around. I was about 30 feet off the ground and suddenly the plane rolled 25 degrees left.” Planes he has flown include a Cessna 172 and a Tecnam P2008.

Jake said he enjoyed flying over mountains and lakes in Southern California during the summer and Lake Norman, with his longest flight lasting 2.5 hours (173 miles). 

During training, Jake flew 3500 feet over Lake Norman to avoid clipping the Charlotte-Douglas airport’s airspace. According to Jake, communicating while flying “takes some time to get used to, and sometimes it's kinda hard to hear every part of an incoming call,” which can be a struggle while he flies.

While many of his peers are working towards their driver's licenses, Jake must pass the written test, complete his check ride, fly 1.7 more hours solo, and complete a 150-mile solo cross-country flight to finish in a few months and secure his piloting license.

Planes Jake has flown include a Cessna 172, pictured above. Photo Credits: AOPA