The Cessna 172 prepares for takeoff at the Ohio State University Airport on Aug. 31. Credit: Hosna Sadaqat | Arts & Life Lantern TV Producer
For Alexander “Alex” Turley, the path to pilothood began in his own backyard.
The third-year in air transportation grew up near the Philadelphia International Airport and said planes were a common sight throughout his childhood in New Jersey.
“I think that kind of sparked my interest in aviation,” Turley said. “I’d go over to the airport with my dad and my brothers to kind of watch the planes landing.”
Now, Turley is the one doing the landing.
Enrolled in the Center for Aviation Studies’ professional pilot specialization, Turley completes at least three flying sessions per week out of Ohio State’s airport, he said. Emma Rubino — also a third-year in air transportation pursuing a professional pilot certificate — said being in the sky so often is exhilarating.
Like Turley, Rubino’s aviation aspirations sprung up at a fairly young age and solidified over time, she said.
“I took a discovery flight back at the airport at home,” Rubino said. “And I fell in love with flying.”
Rubino said she normally carries out her tri-weekly, two-hour practice flights in the mornings before heading to more traditional classes in the afternoons and evenings.
“All of our flight labs are added on to our coursework,” Rubino said. “We’re a very hardworking group of students.”
One of Rubino’s favorite college memories thus far is embarking on her first solo flight, she said. Rubino said the sweeping view of Columbus, coupled with a newfound feeling of independence, made for a deeply meaningful experience.
“Finally being able to go up solo and see that progress that you’ve made with yourself and in your flight training is super cool,” Rubino said. “You go through flight lessons during the week always with an instructor, so being up alone was just a super cool experience.”
Turley said any opportunity to fly alone — whether his destination is a nearby city like Akron, Ohio, or a relatively distant location such as Knoxville, Tennessee — is appreciated. Even so, he said some journeys are more noteworthy than others.
“Getting to fly over the Appalachian Mountains solo in an aircraft for the first time ever was definitely one of the coolest experiences,” Turley said. “You just get those incredible views over Tennessee that you just don’t find in Ohio or New Jersey.”
While successfully executing individual flights is crucial, aviation students need to familiarize themselves with various aircraft models and fly with multiple instructors to become well-rounded pilots, Turley said.
“Flying here, you’ll constantly learn new things,” Turley said. “And many people have different teaching styles or different approaches to how to do a specific type of landing or maneuver.”
Though both Turley and Rubino love spending time in the air, they said general education courses and Ohio State’s sprawling campus help keep them socially grounded.
“It just definitely provides you with those opportunities to expand your network and just meet plenty of more people with other interests and professional aspirations, which I personally find to be very cool,” Turley said.
At the end of the day, Rubino said dedication is what drives Ohio State’s aspiring pilots forward; or rather, upward.
“It takes a lot of perseverance, and it’s hard work, but it’s really rewarding,” Rubino said.
