The first rule of Flight Club is we definitely talk about Flight Club

By Brody Beaupre

Many high schoolers are thrilled with the feeling of being behind the wheel of a car, but what if I told you there was a much more exhilarating feeling. Being 33,000 feet in the air, flying over mountains and seas, and you’re in control. The Oak Hall’s “Eagle Flight” club gives students the opportunity to take the first steps to becoming a pilot. 

The club, founded in 2018, has helped many students discover a passion for flying. The club’s founder and sponsor is Michael Martinez, Oak Hall’s Director of Technology who is also a certified flight instructor.  

Martinez grew up flying. Both of his parents were military pilots, and he got his pilot’s license at a young age as well. “Flying is freedom. You go where you want, and few are those who have ever seen and done what you are capable of doing in just a weekend. You become part of a fraternity that is both exclusive and welcoming,” he said. As a member of the Eagle Flight Club, I can personally attest that this is true. It is lots of fun not only learning about the inner workings of the plane, but also getting experience on the simulator. 

Flying is a magical experience, and it is also full of unexpected twists and turns, which Martinez has experienced this firsthand. When asked what the most interesting thing that has happened to him while flying, he said, “I was low on fuel over the southwest desert, I was a student pilot on my first cross country, and I couldn’t find the dirt airport I needed. Finally found it, flew low over the runway to scare off the cattle, and waited by a rusty gas pump for a man and dog to appear and unlock the pumps. It taught me that aviation is not just fancy airports.” It is this kind of perseverance and improvisation that helps pilots in the crazy world of aviation.

The feeling of being in complete control of something that can take you almost anywhere you want to go is truly wonderful. In a car there are speed limits and all kinds of other laws that you must follow, but in the sky, there are no restricted roads, speed limit signs or blinkers; just open air and a world to be explored.