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Two students in new aviation program fly solo for the first time

Two students in new aviation program fly solo for the first time

by Public Relations | November 13, 2024

LATROBE, PA – Timothy Jakubek, a freshman from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, was recruited to play wide receiver on the Saint Vincent College football team. He planned to major in environmental science but fretted about being overwhelmed by the heavy load of labs and chemistry classes.

“Then I talked with my roommate, who came here for the aviation program,” Jakubek said. “I was like, ‘Man, that sounds like something I’d love to do.’ I switched my major and got addicted to flying. That’s my priority now, even bigger than football.”

Jakubek is part of the inaugural cohort in the Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management – Professional Pilot program in the McKenna School of Business, Economics and Government. On Oct. 17, Jakubek became the first student in the program to fly solo.

“I was cruising at my pattern altitude and looking around like, ‘Wow, I can't believe I'm here right now,’” Jakubek said. “I had no clue I’d ever be doing this. A couple of months ago, I was at home getting ready play football, and now I'm flying a plane. It was kind of surreal. I am so thankful that God has given me this opportunity.”

Saint Vincent’s aviation management – professional pilot program was developed in collaboration with the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and Laurel Highlands Aeronautical Academy. The program integrates a pilot's license, an associate's degree from CCBC and a bachelor's degree from Saint Vincent within a four-year timeframe.

The program enables students to earn their professional pilot’s license while receiving a well-rounded business education. Graduates will be prepared to pursue diverse aviation roles and administrative positions in aviation and other industries.

“This [program] is really helping me grow as a student and as a person,” said Jakubek, who aims to become a flight instructor and eventually a pilot for a major airline. “I’m meeting new people, being in a new environment, learning new stuff. I definitely feel it's all part of God's plan for me.”

On Oct. 23, Nicholas Sikorski, a freshman from West Mifflin, became the program’s second solo flyer. Sikorski took off from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in a Cessna 172 Skyhawk—a single-engine four-seater that has been called “the ultimate training aircraft” due to its outstanding cockpit visibility and slow landing speed—and navigated the sky above Latrobe for about 45 minutes.

“As I was taking off, I looked around and was like, ‘I’m finally doing it,’” Sikorski said. “I was proud of myself. I was happy, excited and, of course, a little bit nervous.”

In about two months, Jakubek and Sikorski went from having zero piloting experience to making solo flights. It might seem like a fast track, but it required a major investment of time through rigorous instruction and testing. “Everybody says it’s so fast, and it kind of is, but I had no problems,” Jakubek said. “I was very well prepared because of my flight instructor at the airport and the classes I’m taking at Saint Vincent.”

The first step in the process was a discovery flight—a chance to get into the cockpit with an instructor, take a short flight and get a taste of the necessary procedures and safety checks. “Basically, you’re making sure this is something you’re going to enjoy,” Sikorski said.

Sikorski gave himself a head start by taking short flights with an instructor for a couple of weeks over the summer. When the fall 2024 semester began, he’d already built up about 20 hours of flight time.

Before flying solo for the first time, students must get approval from their instructors and pass a written exam. After that, it’s all about hoping for a clear sky so the flight isn’t scrubbed. “I woke up that morning and immediately started checking the weather,” Jakubek said. “I was a little nervous, but mostly I was itching to go.”

Before going solo, Jakubek did a short warm-up flight with his instructor in the co-pilot seat of his Cessna 152. The plane returned to the runway, the instructor hopped out and Jakubek was on his own.

“To be honest, the big problem for me at the start was talking to the [control] tower,” Jakubek said. “It's a whole new language you’ve got to learn.”

Cruising 7,500 feet above Westmoreland County at 105 nautical miles per hour (which equals 120 miles per hour), Jakubek’s 45-minute flight seemed to go by in a flash. He circled back to the airport and made a smooth landing.

“I had a smile on my face for the rest of the day,” Jakubek said.

 

Photo Nicholas Sikorski in the cockpit

Nicholas Sikorski in the cockpit

Timothy Jakubek poses before his first solo flight

Timothy Jakubek poses before his first solo flight

Photo of Nicholas Sikorski in the cockpit piloting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk

Nickolas Sikorski piloting a Cessna 172 Skyhawk

 

 

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