BILLINGS - A Billings Skyview High School student received a major award as he prepares for a career in aviation. Chief Master Sgt. Gavin Woods, 17 years old, was presented with the Civil Air Patrol’s solo pilot wings last weekend at the U.S. Armed Forces Reserve Center in Billings.
It’s a rare achievement in the Civil Air Patrol in Montana, that a cadet reaches the status of solo plot.
Woods and certified flight instructor, Capt. Jacob Ramirez, waited to take off at Billings Logan International Airport on Wednesday.
“I'm just kind of running everything through my head,” Woods said about what he is thinking while on the runway. "How I'm going to take off and how I'm going to move in the traffic pattern or what heading I'm going to hold?”
For the last month-and-a-half, Woods has been studying and training for his solo license.
“A little nervous, especially when you know there's nobody there for you,” said Woods about flying solo. “I kind of say that it's like almost being free, alone out there. It's a little challenging. So you have to monitor absolutely everything.”
Woods’ passion for flying started four years ago when he joined the Civil Air Patrol.
He's the only current cadet in Montana to earn the solo pilot wings and the air patrol's leadership cannot remember the last cadet to earn solo wings.
“It's a big deal, especially in Montana,” said Ramirez.
The Civil Air Patrol does not allow training in high-performance planes.
The Billings squadron's three planes are all high-performance and so it borrowed a Cesna 172 from the Idaho Civil Air Patrol.
"We haven't had a cadet solo in quite a long time, mostly because of the aircraft," Ramirez said. "We have all (Cesna) 182s and a (Cesna) 206. The Idaho Wing let us borrow this airplane to get him through his solo."
Ramirez says the training includes the preflight, along with knowing the plane and the emergency procedures.
]“I just want to be completely confident that that student or in this case, Master Sgt. Woods, is 100 percent able to handle any fire failure,” Ramirez said. “Anything that happens in the airplane while he's alone.”
Wood's mom says, besides learning to fly, he has benefited from being the commander of the young cadets forward.
“Just has this booming voice,” Jennifer Woods said. “And the first time I heard it, I didn't even know it was my own kid. I had to do a double-take. Like, where did he come from? Where did that voice come from?”
Jennifer Woods and her husband are both senior officers, and she is the activities director for the Civil Air Patrol in Billings.
“I like the confidence building that it's done through the leadership classes and the character development classes,” Jennifer Woods said.
The experience prepares Woods for a career in the United States Air Force or as a commercial pilot.
“It's nice to see him kind of take his own path and find that passion,” Jennifer said.
“It's always fun to see him go up and fly on his own,” Ramirez said.
“I don't think I'd be flying right now or any time soon, if I wasn't in the civil air patrol,” Gavin said.
Ramirez had the honor of presenting Woods with the award.
The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer, federally supported, nonprofit organization providing aerospace education, emergency services, and youth cadet programs.
They perform about 90% of continental U.S. inland search and rescue missions tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Civil Air Patrol and their aircrafts also assist with homeland security, disaster relief, and counter drug operations.
For more information on the Civil Air Patrol Youth Cadet Programs, click here.
