At 18 years old, senior Bryce Kent is already achieving his life dream of becoming a pilot. Although he still has a long road ahead, Kent’s ambition and personal inspiration will set him apart from the other students at Liberty University where he is heading this fall.
“My grandpa was a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War,” Kent said. “When I was younger, he would always take me up on rides. He was always pushing me to be a pilot.”
Kent mentioned that his other grandfather wanted to get a pilot’s license but never followed through because life had other plans. Not wanting to make the same mistake, Kent took the necessary strides in order to live without any regrets.
After 40 hours of flight training at Sparta airport, he took his test last March and is now a licensed pilot. Kent is currently acquiring his flight rating which will allow him to fly in inclimate weather, at night and with multiple passengers. On January 1, Kent went on his first solo flight.
“It’s crazy, the first time I did it, I was super nervous. Then everything went to plan, it was comfortable and super freeing. You’re all alone and you’re controlling this machine. I don’t even know how to explain it,” Kent said.
Kent has just recently returned from Argentina with Dave Parmerlee, where he helped build a church. Parmerlee, married to athletic office secretary Mary Parmerlee, has been a pilot for about 45 years. He got his license at 16 years old and had some advice for anyone looking to get their licenses.
“My advice, after flying for 45 years, is to always keep learning, stay humble, fly safely, and remember that there are old pilots and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.”
