RHS Senior is High Scorer and Licensed to Fly


The Eastern Suffolk BOCES Pre-Professional Pilot Training offers high school students in their junior and senior years the unique opportunity to learn to fly a plane and possibly earn their Private Pilot's license.

Brian Carrick, a 2006 graduate of RHS, was one of the two (out of three) RHS students who successfully completed the coursework and received high enough marks on the test to receive their private pilot's license from the BOCES training program. Out of the 35 students in the BOCES class, only six received their licenses. Brian was not only one of those students, but he also received the highest score.

Brian's mom, Karen Carrick, writes, "From a parent's perspective, I think this is a wonderful opportunity for these young people to experience. My son, Brian, did his first solo flight in August of 2005 and passed the test for his Private Pilot license on March 1, 2006. My husband and I are very proud of Brian."

Brian seemed to take the whole process in stride. His mom, however, counsels parents to encourage their child to delay taking the test for their license until the end of the program to ensure more flight time. She noted that once a student receives his/her license, the program no longer offers coursework or flight time, but the student is still expected to continue attending the school or be counted as absent.