This is the wonderful Aircraft that I am learning to fly I began my lessons in 2007 without the objective to solo. I Intended to fly around with instructors and enjoy flying. However, this did not last long and I began wanting to become an accomplished pilot. The FAA did not cooperate but after eight months I received Medical Certification third class and Student Pilot Certificate. Many people attempted to discourage me because of my age, 85 years young. On September 18, 2008 I flew solo for the first time. As of 20 Feb.2009 I have 10.7 hours of solo time. On Feb. 3 2009 I passed my written FAA private pilot Exam.
I flew everything I could get my hands on. Whenever I got in I got some stick time. "Warren said, "but that's the dream. That's the thrill knowing I can do it myself." Fast forward abort 60 years and Warren decided he wanted to finish what he started long ago. But to do so , he needed some help from instructors. that's where Adam Weiss and Lloyd Tincher came in. Weiss said he was a bit skeptical that Warren would get medically cleared, but vowed to work with him until the clearance came. I thought he was crazy. It's unprecedented. We had bets going that he wouldn't make it," Weiss joked. "I really wanted to help him because I knew his character and how much it meant to him. We kept plugging away. Tincher had similar doubts, but also had similar hopes for Warren. "I thought that he's too old, " he said. "I explained to him , let's do it for fun. I didn't think he could. But he just went after it with gusto. Warren said he's not used to folks telling him he can't do something. He kept persisting until the FAA finally gave him the green light. A lot's of people told me that this would never happen. I said 'No ,I'm
going to ' do it." Weiss said Warren never showed his age before or after the flight. He had a lot of tenacity and is very head strong." he said "in many ways , he's just like the young students. Afterward, he was as excited as a 16-year-old, if not more" Warren said when the first flight was all over ,,it was time to celebrate and reflect on along life. "I got home and invitee the neighbors over for some champagne , We partied, "
Lt. Col James C. Warren is a Tuskegee Airman, flew 50 combat missions in the Korean War and 123 missions in Vietnam. But the 85 year old's most memorable sortie took place last week when he flew a solo flight for the first time.
I've never been so excited as I was when I finished." Warren said "when I got downwind I said "Whee!" Then it was between me and the airplane to get it down . There's nothing like that first solo. You can only do it once. Warren's flight around the Nut Tree airport continued a journey to be a pilot that was cut short while he was in pilot's training . He said that it was a regular occurrence for African-American pilot to be disqualified with no explanation. He later became a navigator for missions in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, often times taking control of the planes, when ever had the satisfaction of flying alone.