8-year old has already logged 17 hours of flying

Su Campu

Still has a long wait to go for his first solo though!

http://www.ocala.com/article/20110409/ARTICLES/110419996/1001/news01?Title=Young-pilot-takes-to-the-air-with-ease

It'll take Justin Stipp another eight years to earn his pilot's license, but not because he's a slow learner. Quite the contrary. He's a real prodigy behind the controls of a Cessna.




The problem is, Justin is only 8 years old.


“Prior to [Stipp] my youngest student was only 12,” said flying instructor Jason Schappert of Schapp Aviation. “I've flown from Daytona to Catalina Island, and I've never met anyone that young who is already flying and doing instruction. Now there are kids who are interested in it, but there is no one who is really at that level ... he's the shining star of all of my students.”
Justin became interested in flying two years ago after riding in a biplane during a trip to Fantasy of Flight, a war plane museum in Polk County.
Justin's grandfather, Tom Stipp, arranged the trip to the museum to show Justin the importance of respecting and remembering American veterans.
“He was pretty much bitten by the bug at that point and has been interested ever since,” Tom Stipp said. “It's kind of hard to hold him down now.” Down, Justin said, is not where he wants to be.
“When you become a pilot and you're in your airplane, you get to see more things of the world when you are in the air instead of when you are on the ground,” the mini aviator said. “Flying is my favorite thing 'cause once you get your hands on the controls, it's pretty fun.”
Schappert, who runs the Future Pilots Flight Academy for kids ages 8 to 15, can't be sure but believes Justin could be the youngest active pilot in the nation. Justin started taking flying lessons in December and has already logged 17.5 flight hours in a Cessna 150.

TW Mr Tayto

What a little legend. My bet is that he's working on his IR, because either he isn't doing the pedals or he can't see above the glare shield :P

xflyer

Lucky kid but it's all just a game at that age. Being a pilot is more than manipulating the controls on a sunny day in Florida.

The Jessica Dubroff case is a salutory lesson when letting children fly goes too far.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/05/us/instructor-error-cited-in-crash-of-plane-flown-by-7-year-old.html?ref=jessicadubroff


She was 7!