AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2024 - 75

" But you know, I'm grateful for my path.
Everybody's path is different. And that's another
reason why we wanted to make sure [that] we
start this organization. So that people who aren't
normally introduced to stuff like this are. "
While aviation is at the heart of the foundation,
the overall goal is much broader. Harris
intends to scale the foundation in the next couple
years and bring the Fly Compton model to
cities like Oakland and Houston.
" So Fly Compton, it is a business. It's a nonprofit
organization, but we like to think of it as
a culture as well, " Harris says. " You know, one
of the major problems with inner city youth
is, you know, having broken homes, maybe
not having a father around. And they don't get
that fatherly teaching that comes with having
a father around. So, we do end up having to
mentor kids on certain things about, you know,
how to show respect to your parents. How to
tie a tie, how to present yourself professionally.
How to always be on time, punctual, things of
that nature that you would normally, you know,
learn from your mother or father, " he says. " So,
we prepared them not only just to be successful
in the aviation career, but also to be successful
in life as well. "
In addition to Harris, other key members
of the operation are on the ramp today making
sure everything runs smoothly. Ronnell Norman,
head of the Aero Club side of the operation, is
giving rides today in the foundation's Piper
Cherokee. Even with a full-time job flying for
Alaska Airlines, Norman always finds time to
help the next generation.
" I don't know if you've seen the faces on
these young folks, so they kind of keep us alive.
They keep us going, " he says. " They want to do
it, so it inspires me to help them get to where
they want to get because I had help as well. So,
we just have to pay it forward and keep going,
you know, even if we get tired. " And it's a family
business-his wife, Carla Norman, is the
Foundation's Director of Programming and
she's in the hangar, making sure students and
parents are checked in and settled.
And the kids love it. They were attentive in
class, and now they're on the ramp, excited for
the reward to book work-the flight! Waiting
for their name to be called for the next flight
brings happy jitters, and volunteers remind the
group a couple times not to run. Students hold
their logbooks open to the next open entry with
Navien says the key to becoming a pilot is to
" keep going with your dreams and if you want
to fly, keep learning. "
Sydney's advice? " Do what you want to do
and don't let anybody stop you. " Neither Navien
nor Sydney is from an aviation background,
and both love their weekends spent here at the
airport. Fueled by untouchable confidence and
a village of community support, success seems
assured. alicia.herron@aopa.org
View the video
aopa.org/pilot/
may24
Barker's
charm and
humor ensure
students are
engaged in
the whole
lesson.
binding-cracking glee, page after page filled
with 0.2 or 0.3 CPM-CPM flights.
Every student gets a chance to go fly, and
loading kids in and out of airplanes is a smooth
and practiced process. Donovan Johnson,
an Atlanta native who moved to Los Angeles
specifically to complete his ratings at the Aero
Club, marshals the fleet in and out. Johnson
earned his instrument rating two weeks ago
and has his commercial checkride next month.
Other than Norman, the pilots of the other
airplanes are graduates from the Aero Club
looking to build some hours (and also giving
back to the program that helped them get where
they are). Sydney and fellow student Navien
Pitts, who wants to be a pilot when he grows
up, just came back from rides around the pattern
and out to the Goodyear Blimp.
AOPA PILOT / May 2024
75
http://www.aopa.org/pilot/may24 http://www.aopa.org/pilot/may24
AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2024

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