High School Junior Flies Solo in Airplane

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David Lee completes first solo flight

FRONT ROYAL , VA (05/17/2013)(readMedia)--  Front Royal, VA-On the morning of April 25, 2013, David Lee, Jr., completed his first solo flight at the age of 17. Lee, the son of Hong Gang Li and Chun Qing Lei of Potomac, MD, marked the occasion by successfully completing three take-offs and three landings alone in a Cessna 172 airplane at Front Royal-Warren County Airport in Front Royal, VA. Lee is a junior at Randolph-Macon Academy, a Front Royal boarding school that features a flight program.

Lee came to Randolph-Macon Academy in the sixth grade, attracted to the school because of its unique flight program-the school owns two airplanes, and the flight instructors are Academy faculty members-and the R-MA Air Force JROTC (Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps) program.

"It's just something unique," he said. "It's cool how you can fly before you have your license." Lee admitted that he in fact does not yet have his driver's license. "Flying and driving are very different," he observed. "I get nervous when I'm driving, but I feel free when I'm flying."

Most first-time soloists feel a few butterflies in their stomachs, particularly when they go to land, but Lee said that wasn't the case for him. "I wasn't so nervous because Mr. Koch prepared me so well," he said.

This accomplishment was one of many for Lee during his high school career. He is the Second Squadron First Sergeant in R-MA's Air Force JROTC unit, a member of the Honor Council, and a member of the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and the National German Honor Society. He is involved in the Academy's High Flight program, which offers focused preparation for students who are interested in becoming military officers. He has also played football, wrestled, and run track.

From here, Lee hopes to continue flying and earn his private pilot certification. His ultimate goal after graduating from Randolph-Macon Academy in 2014 is to attend West Point and become an officer in the Army.

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.