There have been three first solo flights in three days at the Beatrice, Nebraska airport recently. 
Joel Weber of Weber and Sons (shown below left), flew a Cessna 152 by himself the first time on June 4th. Joel plans to use his pilot’s license as part of his cattle feeding business west of Dorchester, NE and for “just flying around”.
Helen Stucky Risdon (shown at right) made her first solo flight on June 5th in the morning before the wind came up and was ecstatic! Everyone who knows Helen was pleased to hear the news. Amelia Earhart is Helen’s role model so this was an important step in her goal to become a pilot. Helen drives up from Waterville, KS to take lessons.
Lucas Petersen (below right) will be attending the University of Nebraska in Lincoln this fall and wants to have his pilots license by then. He flew by himself for the first time on June 6th. He first went south and flew around the family home in the old Barneston millhouse by the river, then came back to practice some landings. The three fledgling pilots have been training with John Cox and Dean Doyle.
Airport manager, Diana Smith, said this is quite an accomplishment for the students and for the instructors. For more information on the Beatrice airport, visit: http://beatriceairport.com/index.html
