Falcon Foundation Scholar Flies First Solo

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George Beals completes his first solo flight at R-MA

FRONT ROYAL , VA (05/17/2013)(readMedia)--  Front Royal, VA-On May 14, 2013, George D. Beals completed his first solo flight. Beals, the son of Darlene and William Beals of Centennial, CO, marked the occasion by successfully completing two take-offs and two landings alone in a Cessna 172 airplane at Front Royal-Warren County Airport in Front Royal, VA. Beals is a Falcon Foundation postgraduate at Randolph-Macon Academy.

Beals is one of the first two Falcon Foundation Scholars at Randolph-Macon Academy, which is one of only seven Falcon Foundation schools in the U.S.. These students are high school graduates who have applied to the Air Force Academy, and are offered a Falcon Foundation Scholarship to attend one of the Falcon Foundation schools. Upon successful completion of the program at these schools, the Falcon Scholars typically receive an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy, as Beals has.

With his goal of becoming a military pilot, Randolph-Macon Academy seemed a logical choice for his Falcon Foundation year, Beals said. At the start of the school year, he set the goal of achieving at least his first solo flight before graduating, and hoped to make some progress towards his private pilot certification as well.

"George progressed through lessons rapidly by preparing for each lesson. As a result, he was able to solo less than two weeks from graduation," said Randolph-Macon Academy Flight Instructor Ryan Koch.

That solo was not without some adventure. As Beals took off the first time, everything seemed normal, but louder. It wasn't until he was in the air that he realized the latch on the passenger door was open. At that point, there wasn't much to be done, so he just completed his circuit and landed the plane, closed the latch, and went off to do his second solo take-off and landing.

In addition to spending time flying this year, Beals worked with the varsity cross-country team, participated in the High Flight physical fitness program (High Flight is designed for students with aspirations of becoming a military officer), and was inducted into the National Honor Society and the National English Honor Society. He also joined the Alpha Readers Book Club and has been involved with a local Civil Air Patrol group.

Randolph-Macon Academy (R-MA), founded in 1892, is a college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school for students in grades 6 through 12. Students in grades 9-12 participate in R-MA's 91st Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), and have the opportunity to fly in a unique flight program. R-MA is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is located in Front Royal, VA.