Oliver Taylor in Aviation: “This is the most fun you can have on planet Earth”

Oliver Taylor, a senior at GHC, takes his studies seriously with a 4.4 GPA, has been on the Varsity football team for four years (two of which he was a captain for), and just recently he earned his pilot's license after working diligently during those years. In this interview, we discuss the importance of flight in his life.

Q: What are your goals after high school?

A: I plan on spending time with my family since most of the years here have been quite hectic. Eventually, I do want to go to college! So I gotta start preparing for that too.

Q: How do you manage your time between school, football, and flying?

A: I separate the year into different sections. The fall semester is football, and then spring semester I spend my time flying. There is a lot of flight training, you need to know the basics, takeoffs, landings, etc. It’s lots of book study, you need to absorb the information. There’s an essay or written exam that’s required as well. Managing the months and the year helps me handle it all. I also get a lot of help and support from my family, coaches, and flight instructors. 

Q: What first sparked your interest in flying? What made you pursue it? 

A: I traveled a lot. When I first went to visit my family in Hungary, I loved it immediately. That was four years ago—and a family friend of ours was a flight instructor and helped get me started!

Q: Do you have a favorite type of plane? Which one would you like to fly?

A: I want to fly the big heavy aircraft, the ones with 4 engines and are used to transport, such as the C-17 and C-130.

Q: Did you experience any challenges when you were getting your license? How did you overcome them?

A: I didn’t struggle, but it wasn’t easy. I studied with friends, and we'd come up with diagrams for memorization. You need to visualize what you are doing. Even just going through all the motions in your chair and visualizing it in your mind. There were a lot of money challenges, but flying is not cheap. I started working as a tutor for people who want to get their license and it helped me earn some money and flight hours. 

Q: Do you plan to continue your football career in college?

A: I got offers to play at some colleges. But as much as I love football, education always comes first. If I could get into an aerospace school I definitely wouldn’t mind playing football for them. I plan to major in aviation or aerospace engineering, I want to be behind the scenes of flying. 

Q: Are you more passionate about football or flying? 

A: I’d have to say I'm more passionate about flying. There’s nothing better. That doesn’t mean I don’t like football! I love football but aviation is my go-to. I feel free when I’m flying—feeling weightless and the different turns in the air, “it’s incredible.” I want to take my family and friends into the air to show them that.

That's a wrap-up for that interview. Thank you Oliver Taylor for allowing us to explore the world of aviation. And for anyone who is inspired to be a pilot, it is never too soon to start, don’t be discouraged, and study a lot.

As Taylor says, “This is the most fun you can have on planet Earth!”