December 2024, New York, NY… In June 2024, Ingrid Spears, reached out to The Star of Zion and asked if we would write an article about her son Caiden’s “remarkable journey.” We said, “Absolutely!”, and Part 1 of Caiden’s story appeared in the July 2024 edition. This is some of what Caiden said:
“My name is Caiden Spears, and I am a 17-year-old teen aviator who recently graduated on June 1st, 2024, from Cardinal Hayes HS, located in the South Bronx, NY. I am sharing my story because on May 25th, 2024, I received my Private Pilot License, and I am now the youngest African American male to hold a Private Pilot License from the FAA in the State of New York.”
Caiden and his mother are members of Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church in Mount Vernon, NY, where the Reverend Dr. Stephen Pogue is Pastor, and credit him for his unwavering support.
This is Part 2 of Caiden’s story:
Flying my Pastor and being the pilot in command of the aircraft was one of the best experiences since becoming a licensed pilot. When I was 15 years old, I told my flight Instructor I wanted to take my Pastor, the Rev. Dr. Stephen W. Pogue of Greater Centennial A.M.E Zion Church, on a flight. Pastor Pogue knew I was studying for my pilot license and always told our congregation and me that he was ready to fly with me, and he would say, “at least I know Caiden, I don’t know the other pilots I’ve flown with”. He would say that a lot. I was amazed that he had a lot of confidence in me. When I told my instructor of my plan, he came up with a better idea and said, “why don’t you wait until you get your license, and you can fly him without me?” He told me that I would be solely in charge of the aircraft without an instructor on board. That sounded like a better idea and a way to show my Pastor all that I knew.
On May 11, 2024, I passed my oral exam and on May 25, 2024, I passed my check ride with the Designated Pilot Examiner where I had to fly and do different maneuvers over the Long Island Sound. I earned my Private Pilot License on that day at the age of 17, making me the youngest African American male in NY with a Pilot license. On June 1, 2024, I graduated from Cardinal Hayes HS in the Bronx and moved over 1000 miles away on June 3rd to attend flight school in Olive Branch, Mississippi. As a licensed private pilot, I can now rent the airplane I was trained to fly without an instructor, and I am the pilot in command of whatever aircraft I rent. I told my mom I wanted to return to New York and fly Pastor Pogue as promised. I went on the computer, rented a Piper Archer (N727AC), and paid the insurance.
On July 3rd, Pastor Pogue showed up at Republic Airport ready to fly. He was excited and so was I. It was a beautiful summer evening to take a flight. He watched me do my preflight checklists and while on the aircraft, I gave the safety briefing and prepared for takeoff. My mom’s headset was not working, so we had to shut the plane down, leave the aircraft, and return to the flight school to get a new headset. All passengers must have working headsets per FAA guidelines. We took care of that glitch and were now prepared for takeoff around 6 pm. We took off using runway 32 from Republic Airport. Our destination was Brookhaven Airport. Pastor had an amazing view of the coast with turquoise water, and he took many photos. I was also able to record the entire flight. Brookhaven Airport is an “unmanned” airport, which means that there are no control towers. The pilots must basically look out for and communicate their positions to each other. We landed at Brookhaven Airport around 7 pm. The airport was calm, and there was not a lot of flight traffic. It is a very nice low-key airport with one restaurant. We wanted to get what’s known as a “$200 hamburger,” but the restaurant was closing for the day.
I was excited that everything went as planned. It was now time to fly back to Farmingdale Airport. Our flight went well, and Pastor Pogue had the opportunity to take control of the plane during the cruise portion of the flight. This was definitely a rewarding and unforgettable experience. Not many teen pilots get the honor of renting an airplane and flying their pastor. I am so glad that I did. I will never forget this day.
Caiden Spears, Licensed Private Pilot
Future Boeing 777 Captain
