WE’VE ALL heard, “The sky’s the limit,” but for Clara Grace Sanders, the sky isn’t the limit — it’s home! From a young age, she attended several Girls in Aviation events with her Girl Scout troop, and each visit nurtured her growing fascination with airplanes and flying. Though she planned to attend law school and be a criminal defense attorney, the thought of a traditional 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job schedule didn’t appeal to her sense of independence and adventure. So, she enrolled in the Hawkins Flight Academy (HFA) at the Shelbyville Municipal Airport, known to pilots as KSYI.
“Hawkins Flight Academy uses exceptional RV-12iS planes with G3X avionics and efficient maintenance. They are owned by private pilot-rated owners, and they encourage opportunities for students and instructors,” Sander said.
For those who aren’t frequent flyers inside the cockpit, an RV-12iS is a light metal aircraft with two side-by-side seats. It is ideal for recreation and training. This type of craft, combined with Garmin’s G3X Touch system, allows future pilots to train alongside their instructor inside a cockpit fully equipped with the latest technology.
“The Pro Pilot Program is beneficial through pay per rating, lower total cost, and plane priority for the students,” Sanders said. “For all of these reasons, this program is the best match for me and my career. When I passed my private pilot check ride, I was beyond proud of myself and my accomplishment. The moment I shut down the engine and knew I had passed was such a relief that my determination and hard work attested to my achievement. Truthfully, I was excited to move to the next challenge — instrument rating.”
For Sanders, the toughest part of learning to fly and working toward earning her pilot certification is the ever-changing weather here in Middle Tennessee. Sanders said, “The hardest challenge is to have patience when there are continuous days — or even weeks — with little to no flying because of strong winds and low clouds, airplane maintenance, or scheduling conflicts. My best-case scenario would be to fly five days per week, but this rarely happens.”
According to Sanders, flying full time is more than logging flight hours with her instructor, Logan Yoon, in the sky. Students also attend school on the ground through state-of-the-art flight simulations. With three main planes in the fleet of HFA that are almost identical, no matter which plane students fly, lessons are always consistent.
On June 1, Sanders passed her instrument check ride. She passed the instrument rating exam two weeks earlier, which allowed her to file her own instrument flight plans with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The instrument panel exam tested her ability to operate an aircraft using only the instrument panels. During low visibility and poor weather conditions, this skill is vital, and it is a must for Sanders, whose ultimate goal is to earn her Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) rating, which is the equivalent of a doctorate degree for aviators.
“The instrument phase was fun for me because of the contrast from always looking outside to trusting instrumentation and developing a scan. Private pilot training focuses on the pilot’s ability to control the aircraft in different configurations and phases of flight. Recently, I have enjoyed long cross-country flights, which are mini time-building adventures where I practiced more precise commercial maneuvers and landings.”
The FAA requires pilots in training to pass a commercial pilot airplane knowledge exam (CAX).
Sanders said, “When I passed my CAX with a 95%, I felt accomplished. My time and energy studying ground knowledge had paid off. After earning my instrument rating, I felt confident when I filed an instrument flight plan to fly as the safety pilot for another student. I also feel confident whenever I can explain the reasoning and execution of an instrument approach procedure, landing, maneuvers, etc.”
Communication is key.
Sanders said, “Every aspiring pilot should focus on communication skills inside the cockpit, with other pilots, and with air traffic controllers. Pilots are always learning, so willingness to ask questions is a must.”
When it comes to her future, Sanders desires to become a flight instructor while she earns flight hours toward a restricted ATP license. This would allow her to become a co-pilot. She also likes the idea of becoming an aerial firefighter.
“In five years, I hope that I’ve earned seniority at a regional jet carrier, and since I will be over the age of 23, I will have earned my ATP license. But more importantly, I hope I still love flying. Young pilots are changing the future of aviation through adaptability to new, more precise systems and inclusion in a 90% male-dominated field.”
She advises future pilots to search for a flight school that works best for their lifestyle before starting their first lesson.
“After this, immerse yourself in aviation. I’ve enjoyed Fly-Ins, Warbird Days, the ‘Opposing Bases’ podcast, and spending time in the maintenance hangar.”
From selling Girl Scout cookies and earning bronze and silver awards, to reaching greater heights, Clara Grace Sanders charts a path of her own. GN
