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Teen pilot from York takes 1st solo flight

YORK -- 

Avery Poole has been making paper airplanes since he was very young - but not just any airplanes. He could see an airplane and replicate in folds of paper that specific type of plane.

"His mind just knows flying," said his mother, Annette Smith.

The York Comprehensive High School freshman - who recently turned 16 - marked his birthday by taking his first solo flight in a Cessna 172 at the Chester County Airport.

He doesn't have his driver's license for a car yet - but he sure can fly.

"Avery is a pretty natural little flier," said his flight instructor, Jerry Murdock of Thomasville, N.C. "I started working with him before he could reach the rudder pedals. I've known his family for years."

Avery - who turned 16 on April 22 and took his first solo flight a day later - said he's required to be at least 17 and have 40 hours with a flight instructor to get his pilot's license.

But pilots-in-training can take a solo flight as young as 16.

"My instructor felt that I was able, and I could have done it three months' prior, but you've got to be 16," Avery said. "I was pretty ready, not too scared about the whole thing."

His mission was to do at least three "touch and go's" at the airport.

"Basically," he said, "you take off, and you do one giant circle around to the other end of the runway while you're up in the air, and you land in the same direction you took off in."

Avery did five.

"It's kind of surreal, flying a plane by yourself," he said.

Avery has been taking flying lessons from Murdock for about a year. And, for several years before that, Murdock said, he would occasionally take Avery up in a J3 Cub and talk to him about flying.

"I knew from the time I met him he was interested," said Murdock.

Avery picked up the basics of flying quickly, Murdock said. He learned required skills - how to recover from an engine stall, make an emergency landing.

"He knocked all that stuff out - bam, bam, bam," Murdock said. "He just took to it like a duck takes to water. He's going to be a natural aviator."

Avery - who is in the Navy ROTC at York Comprehensive and wants to join the U.S. Air Force - also flies remote control airplanes in competition. He is sponsored by an RC airplane manufacturing team and travels the country, going to events and demos to showcase the planes and his skills.

"He can make an RC airplane stand up on its tail and back up toward him and he'll catch it with his hand," said his mother. "It's incredible.

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@pmdnslj I meant no slam or disrespect either. All I’m saying is if the radio can make the plane do it, u can make the plane do it. Mixes r fun, but if u practice doing it urself, it only makes u better at ur flying. This guy is pretty good, so think about how much better he’ll be actually practicing maneuvers instead of letting the radio do it 4 him. I think the pilot that can hang steady on the prop without gyros is actually flying & better than the pilot letting electronics do it 4 him.

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