Fri, Nov 11, 2011
Worked Through His Injuries To Earn Sport Pilot And LSA
Repairman Certificates
When Chris Gschwendtner was airlifted to a field hospital after
a rocket exploded next to him in Bagdad, no one could look ahead
and see where he is today. The concussion of the explosion left the
young infantryman with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the hidden
injury so common to those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. For
Chris, his injury was compounded by being the second TBI he
had experienced in less than six weeks.
After his injuries he made it his mission to continue
serving his country by being a member of the U. S. Army
Reserves, and to prove he can still excel as a student; this time
in aviation. Studying doesn't come as easily for the recipient of
two Purple Hearts as it did when he earned a degree from Penn
State, so Chris simply works harder. That's how he became a Sport
Pilot, and that's how he has now become a certified Light Sport
Repairman.
With tuition and expenses paid through his Able Flight
Career Training Scholarship, Chris graduated with a 98 on his final
exam at Rainbow Aviation in California, and within days was hired
by the maintenance department at Chesapeake Sport Pilot near his
home in Maryland.
"Chris is an outstanding example of why we created this
scholarship", said Charles Stites of Able Flight. "With the help of
a generous donor we paid for his training, and Chris has now proven
he deserved the opportunity. During his training at Rainbow
Aviation I heard that he didn't even take a weekend day off. He
just kept pushing himself to learn as much as he could. Now
his dedication has paid off with his new job at Chesapeake Sport
Pilot."
Of his scholarship and his new career, Gschwendtner said, "This
opportunity has opened so many new doors for me. I hope that I can
live up to that and make all the people that make Able Flight
possible very proud. I want to thank them once again for
seeing the potential in me and giving me this amazing
opportunity."
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