Gliding to Success
Caleb Smith’s parents exposed him to aviation at a young age; now he’s one of the youngest — if not the youngest — certificated glider pilots in the country.
By Jim Tise, FAA
It’s not unusual for students to find their minds wandering in classrooms, their heads in the clouds.
That’s exactly where Caleb Smith’s mind is, pretty much all day every day. But this has less to do with absentmindedness and more with being laser focused on what he knows will be his career and his future: aviation.
Smith, a 16-year-old rising 11th grader in Prince George’s County, Md., is part of the up-and-coming generation of aviators who will be riding the waves of technological change in the coming decades: sustainable fuels, electric engines, drones, commercial space travel, and much more.
He’s gotten a solid start by recently becoming the nation’s youngest licensed glider pilot. Now he is working on his private pilot’s license for single-engine aircraft. He also is a cadet staff sergeant for the Civil Air Patrol, as well as for the U.S. Air Force Junior ROTC’s aviation program. He has been asked to speak at aviation events and has begun mentoring a young girl who is interested in flying.
Oh, and he maintains a 3.65–4.0 GPA at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale, Md.
As a child, Caleb played some aviation-related games on the Internet, but the inspiration to dedicate his career to aviation came on a field trip that his father, Chazz, arranged with a local pilot. On Caleb’s 10th birthday, Chazz took him to Freeway Airport in Bowie, Md., for an introductory flight. “I thought, let’s try something new,” said Chazz. “I’m just going to take my son on a discovery flight.”
“I remember going up to the airport, commenting on how small it was,” recalled Caleb, as well as the small planes he saw parked on the grass and ramp. He couldn’t help but compare it all to the large commercial jets he’d seen departing from and landing at large international airports. He met with an instructor who guided him through the pre-flight briefing. Once in the air, Caleb experienced flight the way aviation pioneers did.
“You can actually feel the plane responding to what you do,” he said. “It gave me that taste of flight…that sparked an interest in wanting to fly.
On another discovery flight with a glider club in Jacksonville, Fla., Caleb experienced the art and beauty of gliding. Recognizing his passion, Caleb’s parents applied for and won a gliding scholarship for Caleb with Skyline Soaring Club in Front Royal, Va., in May 2021.
Piet Barber was one of Caleb’s glider instructors. “In the glider world we get a fair number of kids because their parents want them to do something constructive,” he explained. “They’re trying to make their resumes looks good for college. It’s not automatically because this kid wants to fly.”
Caleb was different, having a significant amount of experience with a flight simulator. But there was a seriousness to his manner as well. “He was always very focused. We didn’t really have to catch him being distracted.”
At the beginning of the week-long camp to prepare the students for soloing, Barber picked Caleb as his student. “I chose to have Caleb because I wanted to get him through the program,” he said. “I needed an easy one [like Caleb] to make it easy for me,” he chuckled.
Caleb soloed for the first time in July 2021 after 33 flights. He earned his license this past November and has since soloed another dozen times.
With 25 hours of flight time under his wings, Caleb speaks with confidence about gliders. “One huge difference from small planes is the noise level,” said Caleb. “You don’t have to wear headphones like you would in a small plane.
“The feel of the airplane is so much better,” he continued. He rattles off terms such as energy management, trading altitude for speed, and using thermals to extend the flight. “When you’re doing those really tight turns in thermals, you really have to be hands on.” And because gliders operate mostly under visual flight rules, situational awareness is vital. “With VFR flight you always keep your head on a swivel.”
Caleb’s focus on aviation has raised questions among his friends at school. “I was really buckling down studying for the written test and check ride,” he said. “I just shut myself in and got focused, hours and hours a day each and every day. I had to explain to them I had this big test coming up and it’s huge in my life.”
A couple of his friends have expressed interest in going up with him, which he encourages. “Guys my age, they don’t really have a career path. In high school they’re just messing around. I just want to encourage them.”
His accomplishments have spread on social media, and he has been asked to speak before aviation groups. A local family even asked Caleb to mentor their 7-year-old daughter. Caleb gladly showed her the flight simulator he has at home, running her through the basics of flight patterns, taking off, and landing. She hopes to fly with Caleb this year.
Topping things off, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks proclaimed Feb. 28 as “Aviator Caleb Smith Day” in her jurisdiction, honoring him as the youngest certificated glider pilot in the country.
Caleb explores every opportunity he can to fly and learn about aviation. Four years ago he joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force that helps with search missions, emergency response, and homeland security.
“One huge thing with CAP is leadership,” he said. “They give you a lot of opportunities to be a leader and show others what you have and what your talent is.”
Next on Caleb’s list is earning a single-engine private pilot’s license. Always thinking ahead, Caleb believes the training he takes to become a private pilot will give him the basics he needs to achieve his ultimate goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot.
Before that, however, he hopes to continue his education with the U.S. Air Force, Navy, or Coast Guard Academies.
“It’s a family thing, how they’re all supporting me and I can ring them up and ask questions,” Caleb said about the friendships he has established within the aviation community.
It’s a family thing for his dad, as well. “We have spent so many quality hours together, just he and I,” said Chazz.
While Caleb focuses on the ABCs of learning to fly and establishing his future, his father takes a step back and views his son’s efforts from a broader perspective.
“I do believe he is a catalyst for young people,” said Chazz. “It’s a matter of giving back to the young people what he’s accomplished. You are here on this earth for a purpose. But it’s your responsibility and allowing me to assist and help you in being the best that you can be,” he added.
