taildragger
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New Private Pilot – Jenna Graham
Dec 29 2022Private Pilot Checkride: December 7, 2022
Instructor: Scott Williams
Aircraft: Citabria N990WY
School Location: San Jose, CA (KSJC)
Just a short while after completing her first solo, Jenna devoted every moment of her free time (and some not-so-free time) to studying and flying. It paid off with a first-time pass of her Private Pilot checkride with Alaska DPE Carol. We are incredibly proud of her achievement. It gives us some big bragging rights, too 😉 Way to go, Jenna!!!
First Solo Flight – Ian Roe
Dec 19 2022Solo Date: November 19, 2022
Aircraft: Citabria N990WY
Instructor: Scott Williams
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
We love helping people achieve their dreams, and flying a taildragger around San Jose with an empty back seat tops our list of very cool things to do. Congrats to Ian and CFI Scott for checking this box off his list. Whoot whoot!
First Solo Flight – Jenna Graham
Oct 18 2022Solo Date: October 7, 2022
Aircraft: Citabria N990WY
Instructor: Scott Williams
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
A female taildragger pilot slipped the surly bonds of her flight instructor and ascended into the sky to experience the freedom of flying solo. Considering the student pilot is an amazing woman who leads firefighters, we are overjoyed to honor the accomplishment of earning a tailwheel endorsement to solo. She is a student pilot working diligently to become a Private Pilot in our Citabrias. Jenna, there’s seems to be nothing you can’t master. We are proud to be part of your pilot journey. Try not to leave Scott in the dust once you get there 😉
New Tailwheel Endorsement – John Keegan
Sep 24 2022Date: September 22, 2022
Tailwheel Endorsement
Aircraft: Citabria N2508Z
Instructors: Lynzie Hudson, Ivan Stanojevic,
Scott Williams, Grainne Gilvarry & Jen Watson
 
A big “way to go!” shout out to our newly minted tailwheel pilot. John Keegan is the first recipient of our Jason Brown Memorial Scholarship. He put the funds to good use flying with most of our tailwheel instructors. He immediately went for a solo flight after our Chief Instructor Jen signed his tailwheel endorsement. He’s well on his way to the goal of becoming a backcountry pilot.
First Solo Flight – Christine Vandayar
Sep 03 2022Solo Date: August 27, 2022
Aircraft: Citabria N2508Z
Instructor: Scott Holland
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Congrats to Christine on her first solo flight!!! This monumental accomplishment was celebrated in the traditional style, with CFI Scott cutting the tails off her shirt. Way to spread your wings and fly!
New Instrument Rating – Josh Watson
Jul 27 2022Instrument Checkride: June 22, 2022
Instructor: Jen Watson
Aircraft: Maule N5637M
Location: Sacramento, CA (KMCC)
It’s not often a husband and wife can be in an airplane together every day, all day for an entire week and still speak to one another at the end. Not only did AeroDynamic’s owners do just that, Josh came out boasting of a first-time pass of his Instrument – Airplane checkride with DPE Richard Conte! Josh & Jen’s marriage survived the accelerated IFR course 😉 and Josh can finally fly to work through the clouds.
New Private Pilot – Ruofan Ding
May 31 2022Private Pilot Checkride: May 18, 2022
Instructors: Grainne Gilvarry & Lynzie Hudson
Aircraft: Citabria N990WY
Checkride Location: Sacramento, CA (KMCC)
Congrats to Ruofan for achieving the dream – earning his Private Pilot certificate in a taildragger! This new pilot has already been spotted taking his wife flying. Way to exercise those new privileges!
New Tailwheel Endorsement – Kenny Behlen
Apr 27 2022Date: March 29, 2022
Tailwheel Endorsement
Aircraft: Citabria N2508Z
Instructor: Jen Watson
Hip-hip hooray! Kenny’s friends can now call him a “real aviator” after earning his tailwheel endorsement today with our Chief Instructor Jen. She put Kenny, who is an AeroDynamic Aviation CFI, through his paces to earn the privilege of flying taildraggers. He met her high standards in windy conditions for 3-point, wheel, short- and soft-field landings. Way to go, Kenny!
New Private Pilot – Alex Bonne
Feb 16 2022Private Pilot Checkride: February 11, 2022
Instructor: Ivan Stanojevic
Aircraft: Citarbria N990WY
Location: San Jose, CA (KRHV)
Congrats to Alex and CFI Ivan on a first-time pass on his Private Pilot checkride with DPE Tom Hornak! Alex earned his PPL in our Citabrias but will soon begin transitioning to his newly acquired Maule M7-235, which he also leases to us to train others in. Way to go, Alex!!!
Jason Brown Scholarship Recipient – John Keegan
Dec 22 2021We are overjoyed to announce the first recipient of our annual $2,000 Jason Brown Tailwheel Scholarship! Three independent reviewers unanimously selected John Keegan of Monterey to be this year’s recipient. John earned his Private Pilot certificate with us this year and dreams of becoming a bush pilot in Alaska someday. Below you can read part of his submission essay to see why he was an excellent candidate to add tailwheel training to his pilot credentials.
“At the age of 14, I knew I wanted to become a bush pilot. My brother and I would sit glued to the TV for hours watching “Flying Wild Alaska” pilots prepare for one mission after another, using their skills and experience to deliver passengers, parcels, and produce to communities all over the Alaskan wilderness while managing difficult terrain and weather. To me, flying small tailwheel aircraft in the bush was the most perfect and efficient use of an airplane. Years later, I’m still inspired to become a commercial bush pilot.” ~ John
P.S. Happy Birthday, Jason. We miss you endlessly. Thanks to all who donated to honor Jason’s memory.