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According to the Washington Post, about 40 percent of Americans are afraid of flying. For freshman Aviation students at Louisiana Tech, their job is to go one step further and fly the plane.

Many of these freshman are a little uneasy before that first flight.

“My first flight was about a year and half ago, and I was more anxious than nervous to start flying,” Aviation student Clark Hillman said. “It was a whole new experience for me.”

Others, like freshman Cade Deloach, have always wanted to be in the cockpit.

“I’ve wanted to be a pilot since I was a kid, so I was more excited than nervous,” Deloach said. “My first flight was a little over an hour long, and I felt that I did pretty well for my first time.”

Instructors like Jared Prejean are there to help each young pilot navigate through the air.

“I have loved passing my knowledge on to young pilots. It has been a great experience so far,” Prejean said. “I hope I can continue to make an impact on these students.”

The instructors also serve as personal tutors for the young pilots. Deloach said his relationship with Prejean is very good.

“[Prejean] gave me some tips and tricks on controlling the plane and talking on the radios,” Deloach said. “He expects a lot out of me but the hard work pays off.”

Like everything else, the more flights the students take, the more comfortable they become.

“I have become much better at flying,” Hillman said. “Flying a plane isn’t just keeping the plane in the air. There are a lot of other parts that many people don’t know about. I have become better at balancing all of that. I still have a lot of work to do, though.”

Aviation students are also given homework and daily assignments, just like others at Louisiana Tech.

“I believe that the workload we are given as aviation students is very reasonable considering the amount of liability for our lives and others not to mention flying $400,000 airplanes,” Deloach said. “We all know the risks of flying these planes. But that’s the life we have chosen. It’s unlike any other major on this campus, but I love it.”

This story was written by Communication student Spencer Drake.