Inside Look on Freshman Pilot: Connor Richard

By: Sydney Brammer

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak causing school to be shut down, Redwood’s students have not gotten the chance to meet all the incoming Freshmen. However, I got the pleasure of meeting and speaking with one of the many new Freshmen of this year.

Connor Richard, ’24 is a 14 year old with a very unique hobby. He is training to become a pilot for a possible future career as an Airline Transport Pilot. An Airline Transport Pilot is the highest level of aircraft pilot certificates. Those certified as Airline Transport Pilots are authorized to act as pilot in command on scheduled air carriers’ aircraft under CFR 14 Part 121.

Richard has been flying since he was about 12-13 years old where he started training with his dad, Ramsay Stephen Richard who is a private pilot and has been flying for about three years and is currently getting his instrument rating. An instrument rating is earned through intensive training focused on flying solely by reference to instruments. It is one of the most valuable ratings one can add to their pilot certificate.

However, Richard’s interest in flying didn’t begin when he was just 12 years old, but when he was in Elementary School. Richard says, “I’d always go to the library and check out these plane books.” Richard was inspired by “how something so large and so heavy can just lift away in the sky,” he explained.

Not only does Richard spend his time in the sky, but he also builds model planes in his spare time and is currently taking specific classes to enhance his pilot knowledge. He takes these classes at Sporty’s Pilot Shop which offers online training courses. There he gets to read books about the study of the Art of Aviation. The Art of Aviation is the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight and the techniques of operating an aircraft within the atmosphere. Once he’s ready, he’ll get to sit down with an instructor and move on to the next step in his training. If you want to check out Sporty’s Pilot Shop, here’s their website link: https://www.sportys.com/.

The most common plane Richard flies is called a General Aviation. According to Richard, it’s an older type plane and has the speed of about 120 knots which is the max safe speed, but he usually flies at about 80-110 knots. It takes no more than two people up. Him and his dad take off from the Visalia Municipal Airport.

Richard and his dad fly all around Visalia, sometimes to Merced, and recently went up to Fresno which is about an hour flight. Richard flies about once a week, however is studying it everyday.

Some rules that student-pilots, such as Richard must follow are they can only solo at 16 years old which is when they can get their license. Before one wants to get their license, they must reach the 40-hour requirement.

Richard’s favorite thing about flying is “being able to control the plane. Little movements really make a difference in that scenario. Also, being able to look outside and see the land base. When you get up to that high, all the smog and dust and debris settles down and you can see for miles,” he says. The highest Richard has ever gone up is about 7000 feet.

Richard’s goal is to sit down with an instructor and start getting some instructional hours, 40 are needed before he can get his license. 10 of those hours are solo flights, another 10 are night flights, and 20 are going up with an instructor flying.

The most difficult part about flying for Richard is “learning the rules and regulations.” However, once he gets the hang of them it’s “second nature”.

Garry Zinger was the first person to ever take Richard up. Richard says, “I knew from then that this is what I wanted to do.” Zinger was a great friend to Richard and a lot of the people at the Visalia Municipal Airport.

“The feeling of seeing the world from a different perspective is amazing, I still have yet to lose that feeling.”

Connor Richard, ’24

Here are some short videos of what it looks and sounds like on a flight:

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