We're so proud of Omar Samad's most recent accomplishment: he received his pilot's license! As you know, last summer Omar attended California Airways AeroCamp on a Wishbone scholarship, which fueled his passion for aviation. On February 23, 2015, Omar fulfilled his goal of becoming a pilot and received his Private Pilot's license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Congratulations to Omar and all of you who helped him achieve this amazing milestone.

I went to the headquarters of Southwest Airlines recently, and was able to use one of their simulators. This is where I want to be out of college. I have this photo as my wallpaper on my laptop because it motivates me everyday and it reminds me why I am in college.

I did my first flight solo yesterday. This means that I was in a plane alone while my instructor was looking from the ground. My family was also there to watch. I was nervous at first, but my confidence level sky-rocketed. I am currently flying a plane called the Cessna 152 for two passengers. I went up today again alone and wow, it is amazing how everything comes together after many hours of training and reading on the ground. I have completed seven landings in total. With the help of the Wishbone scholarship and donors, I managed to get this far. I also want to thank all of my teachers and friends who knew I could get this far.  With my solo flight completed, I am half way to my license of flying as a private pilot. 

I started flying a plane that can fit only two people, the pilot and copilot. On my very first day of flight training, I flew a plane called the Cessna 150. It is a small plane used for training purposes. I arrived in Hayward; the weather was clear without a cloud in the sky, thankfully. I can only fly when it is (VFR) conditions which means the skies are clear with no clouds around. Once I arrived in Hayward, I met my flight instructor near the main gate to enter the airport grounds. My instructor’s name is Mr. Emilio Joseph; he will be my mentor, teacher, and guidance person throughout the entire piloting course. 
After we drove through the main gate towards where the airplane was parked, my instructor and I began to do a flight briefing. A flight briefing is a talk about each thing you will do for the entire day; we plan, check, and proceed. Before I fired up the engine, there was a preflight checklist I had to follow before we took off. A preflight is when you check every inch of every bolt of the plane you will fly to ensure the plane is air safe and ready for the unexpected when in the air. I check the wings, lights, fuel, etc… After this was complete, we both got in the plane and did another set of checklists that is required before you even begin to move. Finally, everything was checked. I communicated with air traffic control to get permission to move. We were waiting for takeoff clearance and after that, my dream was a reality.