Brayden Viola is flanked by his mother, Monica Viola and his father Shawn Viola in front of the plane he flew Dec. 20 for his first solo flight. The solo flight is a required part of obtaining a private pilots license, which he plans to do on his 17th birthday. Photo provided by Monica Viola
Youth flies solo at age 16
Canyon Lake teen Brayden Viola had an experience of a lifetime. Many have never had the chance to do what 16-year-old Brayden has done. On his 16th birthday Dec. 20, Brayden took his first solo flight as a pilot at the Temecula French Valley Airport.
Brayden has loved airplanes since he was 3 years old. Brayden is a third-generation pilot in the Viola family. He has flown with his grandfather Rich Viola and his father Shawn Viola many times.
Without even having his drivers license, Brayden followed in his family’s footsteps.
“It went absolutely amazing,” Monica Viola, Brayden’s mother, said.
“He got to fly solo by himself, and the very next day he took his California drivers license test and got a perfect 100 score.”
Brayden took his first flying lesson in 2018. Brayden flies his parents’ Cessna 182.
Next up for Brayden is a required solo cross country flight, which he will take within the next few months. Then comes the private pilots license, which requires he be 17 years old. With a private pilots license he can fly others, but cannot charge passengers until he receives his commercial pilots license at age 18. From there he wants to become a commercial pilot, possibly for UPS or FedEx, he said.
Brayden is a sophomore at Mission Vista Academy, a charter school in Cherry Valley (near Beaumont). Monica said he goes to the school because of its cycling program. He rode his bike 6,000 miles this year.