Lakeside student has lofty ambitions

Will Christian recently turned flying into a family legacy.

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The 16-year-old Lakeside High junior undertook his first solo flight.

Since then, he has taken more solo flights and, with his instructor, flown from Augusta to Athens, Ga., and back.

"It didn't really kick in until my second or third time flying solo, the excitement of what I was doing," Will said. "You can't get that feeling doing anything else. It's great."

For nearly two decades, his father, Edward, has flown commercial jets for Delta Air Lines. He also flew F-16s in the first Gulf War as an Air Force pilot.

Will might follow in his father's footsteps.

"I've thought about maybe going into the Air Force," he said. "I'm really not sure yet, but it's something I could fall back on if I wanted to because of the experience I'm getting."

It was at his father's encouragement that Will started his flying lessons.

"All of my life, I've been pretty interested in it," he said. "When I turned 16, he started telling me to take flying lessons, and I jumped at it."

Now, Will hopes to obtain a pilot's license before the year concludes.

His solo flights have impressed his mother, Mary.

"I've never seen that side of Will before," she said. "I mean, flying an airplane? I didn't really know he had it in him to stay so calm."