BLOOMSBURG, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Young people are often encouraged to aim for the sky when it comes to their goals and ambitions. A Williamsport teenager is doing exactly that: Quite literally, in the cockpit of a plane.
It's not unusual to see small planes take off and land at Bloomsburg Municipal Airport, but what might surprise you is the age of the aviator in this single-engine aircraft.
At 18 years old, Trevor Estes already has his private pilot's license. He earned it in March.
"When I finally took my test and I flew back, I brought my dad back with me because he was the first passenger I was allowed to fly. I was, I was so happy the whole way. I was excited, just all the work I had put in. It was an amazing feeling," Trevor said.
This class of 2025 Williamport Area High School graduate says love of aviation is in his DNA.
His late grandfather was an Air Force mechanic who took Trevor as a young boy to a beloved annual event in Pennsylvania's northern tier.
"We'd go up to Wellsboro Fly-In Breakfast and we'd always look at planes together," Trevor added.
Trevor's passion for flying took off, and at 14, he was already in the cockpit and up in the sky.
"Honestly, I was nervous at first because it's something I'd never been at. I'd never gone even on a commercial flight," Trevor continued.
He recalls taking his first exploratory flight.
"It was right after this big, big snowstorm we got at Williamsport [Regional] Airport. So just seeing, being able to see the ground, and I flew over my house and all different buildings. Seeing it from the ground and seeing it from there, it's just so different. It's really cool," Trevor explained.
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Flight Instructor Dan Cedeno taught and trained Trevor for about a year and a half.
"Anyone can really learn to fly if they're committed to it, and you can tell he just has a love for aviation, a love for flying so the love makes it easier, that's for sure," Cedeno told 28/22 News.
Cedeno says Trevor possesses something else pivotal: Situational awareness.
"Sometimes people just don't have an eye for being aware of what's around them and kind of mitigating risk, and that's harder to teach, but again, Trevor had it," Cedeno continued.
Trevor earned certifications in precision machining as well as engineering, and robotics through Williamsport Area High School's career and technical education programs.
"So taking those two classes really, it helped me, helped me get a broad range of ideas about different, different systems from hydraulics, hinges, engines. It really, really helped me understand it better," said Trevor.
"He's goal-oriented. He's hardworking. He's very driven," Trevor's Mother, Susan Estes, said.
Trevor's mother is beyond proud of her son, who served as president of his school's manufacturing and engineering club and was a four-year member of the soccer and track teams.
He also took on part-time jobs like grounds crew for the Williamsport Crosscutters baseball team to cover the $20,000 cost toward earning his pilot's license.
"He has worked multiple jobs, saved up over four years so that he could accomplish this hobby, which has turned into a passion, which will turn into a career," Susan added.
The sky is not the limit. It's only the beginning.
Trevor will attend the University of Oklahoma this fall and pursue a degree in professional flight. He hopes to be able to become a commercial pilot right after he earns his college degree.
Here's to you, Trevor.
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