Looping Above the Clouds with @sammy_mason On December 17,...

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Looping Above the Clouds with @sammy_mason

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their historic first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Today, people like 20-year-old Sammy Mason (@sammy_mason) continue to push the limits of manned flight.

You might say that becoming a pilot was preordained for Sammy Mason (@sammy_mason), who lives above an airport hangar in Santa Paula, California. “My mom is a pilot, my dad is a second-generation pilot, all my uncles are pilots and a few of my aunts too,” he says. But when he became the youngest stunt pilot to qualify for the US National Advanced Aerobatic Team last year at age 19, it was due to his own talent and persistence. Sammy uses cockpit and wing-mounted cameras to capture harrowing photos and videos of his exploits.

Sammy, who has logged thousands of hours of flight time in his life, is quick to note the risks of his stunts. “There’s seldom any second chances in aerobatic flying,” he says. But Sammy encourages those who are interested in flying to pursue their passion, and says that becoming a pilot is more accessible than people think. His advice? “Stay away from bigger airports, or you will spend more time sitting on the ground behind a big jet than you will actually flying. Find a small airport with a mom and pop flight school.” Even the costs are negotiable, Sammy says: “If you don’t have much money, most places will give you a job cleaning airplanes in exchange for flight time.”

by via Instagram Blog