“The most memorable occasion of Todd’s flight training is when he went solo for the first time. I always have another instructor cross-check my work, and Todd was ready, not knowing that day was going to be his first solo. It is metaphorical, as parents, we watch our children get older to leave the nest. When your child solos, who is also your student, it comes with a heightened sense of awe and amazement realizing that your kid is doing something called defying the law of gravity.”

This quote from Jason Lorenzon describes his son’s first solo flight. Revere High School junior Todd Lorenzon decided that one of his high school accomplishments would be to earn his pilot’s license.

Lorenzon recently underwent multiple training programs and flight schools in order to earn his pilot’s license. He decided that he wanted his father to teach him how to fly. Lorenzon’s father, Jason Lorenzon, has been a pilot for over forty years. Todd explained why he wanted to learn to fly.

“My dad offered me a flying lesson, and I said yes. I love flying, and that really inspired me to get my license,” Lorenzon said.

Lorenzon’s father commented on how Todd started his journey to earning his license.

“Todd actually decided and kept being persistent about getting his private pilot’s certificate. It is pretty intensive, most students can fly alone when they are sixteen, and then get their actual FAA pilot’s license at seventeen,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is the largest modern transportation agency, as well as a government body of the United States, that can regulate aspects of civil aviation in that nation as well as over its surrounding waters. Todd attended multiple different courses in order to receive his license. He explained the steps taken in order to become a pilot.

“First you have to do ground school, along with flight training. Once you do your flight training, you have to do a written test, oral test, and a flight test,” Lorenzon said.

Todd explained each part of the test.

“You take the written portion of the test after ground school, it’s just sixty multiple choice questions, and you have to get a certain percentage to pass. The oral portion is a two hour oral section with a designated examiner. They sit down and ask you questions, [and] make sure you got it. [For] the flight portion, you go for a flight, and you have to do maneuvers,” Lorenzon said.

Within these hours of studying and training, there are also requirements that must be met. Jason Lorenzon explained some of the requirements that training pilots must meet.

“The Federal Aviations Regulations require a minimum of forty hours of flight training. There are certain tasks that must be accomplished such as maneuvers. At least thirty hours must be accomplished with an instructor, and ten hours must be done solo,” he said.

Lorenzon’s friend Greg Wilson commented on what he thinks of Lorenzon’s capabilities.

“I’m really impressed that Todd has achieved pilot status at the age he is. Todd [also] built his own drone and has really good flying skills,” Wilson said.

Lorenzon also has an interest in building and flying drones. Jason Lorenzon commented on his son’s accomplishments with drones.

“He just received his FAA Commercial Drone License, meaning he can fly drones and make money [from] it,” he said.

In the future, Todd would like to learn how to do tricks with his plane and even perform them.