While he cannot drive a car, Sam Fingerhut can fly a plane.

This past summer, Fingerhut attended Bullis Aviation Camp, where he went up in a plane at the Montgomery County Airpark. This gave him his first genuine experience of something he had always dreamt about.

“I’ve always had a real passion for aviation,” Fingerhut said. “It really gives me a rush, and I really love the feeling.”

This experience strengthened Fingerhut’s passion for aviation, and encouraged him to start flying planes regularly. He started taking lessons at the airpark in early August, and has continued to do so twice a month throughout the school year. Fingerhut flies the Piper Warrior, a single-engine propeller plane with room for two pilots and two passengers.

To prepare for his first flying lesson, Fingerhut read books on aviation. Fingerhut had imagined what flying would be like, but once he was up in the air, it was very different than what he expected. He thought the ride would be much smoother, but instead he felt the force of the wind and the engine power. Despite these initial surprises, Fingerhut was not intimidated.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Fingerhut said. “It just made me want to start taking lessons even more.”

Earlier this year, Fingerhut learned the basics of flying a plane, such as taking off and landing. Now that he has grown more confident in his flying abilities, he is learning more advanced maneuvers like making sharp turns, steep ascents and descents, changing speeds and fall recoveries.

Getting a private pilot’s license is Fingerhut’s next goal, which he will be eligible for at age 17. A private pilot’s license is the next step in becoming a professional pilot. With this license, Fingerhut will be able to fly other people in his plane and buy or rent a plane.

Fingerhut said that it has always been his dream to become a professional pilot. He does not know if he would choose to be an Air Force pilot or a commercial pilot, but he believes that both are strong possibilities.

“It just seems like such an amazing thing to be able to do my passion for a living and travel all around the world while doing it,” Fingerhut said in an email.

Fingerhut believes that an important skill to master before reaching this dream is multitasking. He must keep distance from other planes and be aware of the speed and altitude of the plane, while also making sure to steer in the right direction.

“[Flying] is really challenging as a whole, like being able to grasp the techniques,” Fingerhut said. “But once you really get it and figure out how it works, you can really do it and it feels natural.”