At 16, Ava Noel can solo-fly a plane

HUDSON, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A local 16-year-old who can’t yet get her drivers’ license is already taking to the skies as a solo pilot.

Ava Noel is a normal teenager. She studies, she runs cross country track, and she dressed up for her sweet sixteen in October. But she has a skill that sets her apart: She can fly a plane.

“I was just traveling on a plane, and I was like, 'wow.' I mean, imagine going to see all these cool places and, you know, traveling," Noel told NEWS10, "and I was like, 'maybe I'll be a stewardess.' But then I was like, 'why do that when you can have the best view on the plane?”'

From that moment, Noel's goal became to set herself up for a career in aviation. She started attending the Donald R. Kline Technical School offered by Questar III.

“This program generally is designed for adults, and a lot of times adults are having problems grasping all the material that we cover here," said Radek Wyrzykowski, Noel's Aviation Teacher, "and those students are absolutely amazing.”

They learn in the Hudson classroom with books, pen and paper, and flight simulators. Then, they get to take what they've learned to the Columbia County Airport for the real thing.

"We flew over my school during the school day, and I sent a picture to my friends, and I asked them how math class was going," Noel recalled with a chuckle.

Monday, Noel got her wings, officially becoming a student pilot. She can't take passengers yet with this certificate, but she can fly solo.

"It means that she's on equal footing with all the airline captains out there," Wyrzykowski said, "when she's out in the system, it's her responsibility to maintain safety of the flight."

Noel thanked her parents for their role in helping her achieve this.

Her advice for aspiring young pilots?

"Honestly, you just have to go for it."