19-year-old Kazia Bame of Star Valley sat down with SVI Media’s Dan Dockstader to discuss already acquiring her privot pilots license.

(0:00) Starting a pilot’s license at the age of 17. (0:04) Kasia Boehm, private pilot, SVI Media. (0:07) Sitting here now talking to a young lady that started her aviation training at 17, she’s now 19.

(0:13) She is a private pilot. Kasia, thank you for joining us here today. (0:17) Absolutely.

(0:18) Let’s talk about what prompted you to, as a high school student, start training to be a pilot. (0:23) What got you going into that? (0:26) Ever since I was little, it was my dream to be a pilot. (0:29) It’s always been a passion of mine.

(0:32) So I started looking for scholarships or things around the valley that I could do to get started. (0:38) What did you find? John Kaler was one person that you found. (0:42) He’s a pilot.

He trains people. Tell us about that experience. (0:46) The school actually sent out an email of an opportunity for a scholarship that was sent out from the Alpine Airport.

(0:55) It was through John Kaler. He was my instructor. (0:59) Absolutely great pilot, great guy.

Tons of fun every day. (1:04) John, at the time, somewhat based out of Alpine, but also the Afton Airport. (1:09) How did you start? You spoke to him in Alpine, but you also worked through that program there where they helped you with a scholarship.

(1:16) Tell us about that. (1:19) There was a scholarship involved, right? Tell us about that. (1:22) John was working with the guy, Steve Funk, who gave the scholarship.

(1:28) Then he called me up and said, hey, you got the scholarship. (1:33) After I had applied, I had an interview with a few people from the scholarship board. (1:41) John Kaler, Steve Funk.

(1:43) Then a couple days later, they called me and said I got it. (1:45) So I met with John and we started talking and went from there. (1:49) You’re the student.

Going from there is what? (1:51) It’s a lot of intense book training long before you get into the pilot seat. (1:58) Tell us about that process. (2:00) It’s called ground study, ground work, where you learn all of the ins and outs and the rules before you hop in.

(2:09) Tons of flying every day, learning different maneuvers, different patterns, things like that. (2:16) Then I took the ground work, like the test. I can’t remember what it’s called.

(2:25) That eventually puts you in the pilot seat. (2:27) Then I can get in the pilot seat and fly. (2:30) Then you start flying with John.

(2:32) How long does that process take? (2:34) The book training, so to speak, for lack of a better word, ground training, (2:38) and then the flying with John before you actually soloed. (2:42) What’s the length of time there? (2:44) It’s different for everybody, but for me, I don’t think I had more than— (2:51) well, I don’t want to say anything wrong. (2:53) I don’t know how many hours I had, but I had a good amount of hours before I soloed.

(2:57) Then I got up to about 50 hours before I took my checkride and passed my checkride. (3:02) The checkride allows you to do what? (3:04) The checkride, if you pass, is what gives you your license. (3:07) You got a license, but part of that is solo training.

(3:11) Where did you fly an aircraft by yourself at age what? 18 by then? (3:16) I might have even still been 17. (3:18) You flew an aircraft by yourself to where at age 17? (3:22) From the Afton Airport down to Kemmerer over to Big Piney and then back to Afton. (3:28) So over two really big mountain ranges all by myself.

(3:31) That was fun. (3:32) Including the wind at Kemmerer, too. (3:34) Oh, yeah, those winds.

(3:35) What did it feel like to make that solo pilot? (3:37) You’re in the plane by yourself, a 17-year-old. (3:40) You’re flying over some rugged western Wyoming country. (3:43) What did it feel like? (3:44) At first I was very nervous, but once I got up and going, it definitely helped my confidence.

(3:51) I was like, man, I made it. (3:54) Dreams are coming true. (3:55) There you go.

(3:56) Dreams are coming true. (3:57) Yeah. (3:58) Well, then you finished up with the program.

(4:02) What would be your aspirations now? (4:05) Would you like to eventually become a commercial pilot, but it’s not easy because, what, it costs money? (4:10) Tell us about what those next steps would be. (4:12) Yep. (4:13) I mean, of course it costs a ton of money, a ton of hours.

(4:16) You have to put in a lot of work, but I definitely want to get my instrument license and my commercial license (4:23) and be hired either for an airline or I think corporate would also be a really fun job. (4:30) Occasionally I’ve gotten into a plane and there’s been a younger pilot taking us as a corporate or a state (4:38) or somewhere to go to a meeting. (4:40) That would be part of your possibilities as well.

(4:42) Of course. (4:43) I’d love that, yeah. (4:45) Reflect on the whole process.

(4:46) You talked about focus and the time spent putting this all together. (4:51) As a 17-year-old, now you’re a 19-year-old. (4:53) You’ve graduated from high school.

(4:55) Tell us your thoughts on putting all this together and what went into it. (5:01) It’s not something that is easy and not something that I could have done if it wasn’t a dream and a goal and a huge passion of mine. (5:10) Tons of hours, tons of work, tons of studies, and it’s just not something that comes super easy.

(5:17) You have to put in everything you’ve got. (5:20) How did it feel like at a very young age to accomplish things like this? (5:25) A solo flight, a pilot’s license. (5:29) What does it feel like? (5:30) You’ve already got that part of your life done and accomplished.

(5:33) Yeah. (5:34) I don’t even know if I fully comprehended it myself. (5:37) I think it’s great.

(5:39) Super fun. (5:41) I’m very happy I did it though. (5:43) Do you have any counsel for those who might be considering this? (5:47) For example, Star Valley High School, the school system here looking at a pilot training program.

(5:53) Any counsel both to the school and to potential pilots from you that’s already accomplished this? (5:59) I think that the program that they already put out with the scholarship was great, and I think they should definitely keep doing it (6:06) because it helps kids who have a dream of being a pilot get that first step. (6:12) And then as for the kids, I say if you want to do it, go for that first flight and see if you like it and just go for it. (6:20) Put your whole heart into it.

(6:22) Okay. (6:23) We’re with Keisha Boehm. (6:24) She is now a private pilot.

(6:26) She’s got this all put together. (6:28) Keisha, as we close out, any thoughts on a very successful early career of becoming a pilot? (6:35) I’m just very thankful for all of the people who helped me along the way. (6:40) Family and John Kaler and my mom always being there.

(6:45) She was a big part of it. (6:46) Very good. (6:47) And your mom, tell us who she is.

(6:50) Kenna Jenkins. (6:51) Her maiden name is Kenna Porter. (6:53) And she was right there for you.

(6:54) Every day. (6:55) Very good. (6:56) Yep.

(6:56) Keisha Boehm, private pilot, Dan Dockstader, SVI Media.