Like most young people, Jackson Stewart hasn’t always known what he wanted to do in his future career.
The Loveland High School senior had more certainty about what he did not want to do.
“In middle school, you start getting asked what you want to do, what you enjoy,” Jackson says. “I kind of knew I didn’t want to do a sit-down office kind of job, so I was exploring all of the options. After my first discovery of flight, I just kept exploring it.”
Jackson’s first experiences with flying planes involved flight simulators and video games. It wasn’t until seventh grade at High Plains School, when he took a flight class at a local airport, that he began to envision a career as a pilot.
“I’ve always been interested in transportation in general, even as a kid,” Jackson says. “Airplanes, trains, all of it.”
Jackson Stewart Builds Skills and Confidence in the Air
Now, as he prepares to graduate, Jackson is more certain than ever that flying airplanes is what he wants to do with his life, and he has the flight hours to prove it. Jackson has spent over 70 hours piloting planes and earning his private pilot license — something he started working toward when he was 16.
After Jackson graduates this spring, he will continue training at Aims Community College’s flight school, with the eventual goal of flying commercially. He says that learning to fly a plane is more about understanding how the plane works and mastering the controls than it is about navigating the air.
“Flying a plane seems a lot harder than it really is. You get more comfortable with it,” Jackson explains. “The hardest part is the regulations and the procedures. Once you’re up there, nothing’s holding you. You need to know what the plane is going to do.”
One of the unique things about being a pilot is getting to visit places all over the world, which is also not lost on Jackson. He hopes to one day be a fully licensed pilot so he can go on bucket list adventures with his family and friends.
“Travel is a cool perk of being a pilot,” he says. “I hope to visit most places before I die. Once I get my private license, I’ll be able to fly around to see places. My ultimate goal is to have a sustainable job in the industry.”
Planning the Path to a Career in Aviation
Jackson says that the usual route for getting a license is to start by getting all of your training and ratings done, and then you can fly for a regional airport and work your way up — all of which Jackson is planning to do in the future once he has graduated. He says he will stay at home with his parents for a while so he can afford flight school, which can be very expensive.
Eventually, he will be able to make a living doing what he has dreamed of doing for years: Soaring above the Earth.
“Flying is really cool because you’re not on the ground. I know that’s a given, but it’s kind of cool to be above everything else, not held down by anything,” Jackson says. “You can see everything up there.”
Portrait of a Graduate
Critical Thinker
Engages in problem-solving to overcome obstacles
