Ever since he was two-years-old, Spencer Britt can remember flying in airplanes.
His dad, Jeff, would strap him into a car seat and he’d fly shotgun as a co-pilot.
On Friday, the Addison Township resident skipped the car seat and went straight for the controls, as he was able to take his first solo flight.
After flying with an instructor for the last year and a half, Britt said he wasn’t nervous, but ‘confident? about taking the flight, which happened to coincide with his 16th birthday.
It was a sunny, but cold day at the Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, and the wind was just right as Britt hopped into a red and white, two-seater Cessna-152.
The Oxford High School sophomore made sure his lucky grey-knit hat was on his head before taxiing down the runway, with his instructor from Flight 101 beside him.
After taking off and landing three times with the instructor, Britt repeated the sequence by himself.
His dad watched from a nearby hanger with a walkie-talkie in hand ? listening to how well his son communicated with the air traffic controller.
When Britt landed, he was obviously proud of himself. A large grin couldn’t be wiped off of his face.
‘It was cool,? he said.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) website, before a student can fly solo, they must be 16-years-old, demonstrate their aeronautical knowledge, airspace rules and specific maneuvers, among other things.
Britt will be able to get his pilot’s license after logging 30-40 hours with an instructor, take more flight classes and tests and take an in-flight final exam with an actual FAA certified examiner.
He plans to get his license by the time he’s 17.
So, will he be flying the rest of his life?
‘I could possibly pursue it as a career,? he said.
Once he gets his license, Britt said he plans to fly ‘as much as I can.?
‘Just being up in the air is fun,? he said. ‘You gotta do what you love.?