Moses Lake Cadets Solo in Flight Academy

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  Six Civil Air Patrol cadets completed their first solo flights“Of those, six had made their first solo flight by Thursday morning, and two more were expected to on Friday.”
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  The solo flights occurred during the Desert Eagle Flight Academy“Of those, six had made their first solo flight by Thursday morning, and two more were expected to on Friday.”
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  The Desert Eagle Flight Academy took place at Ephrata Airport“EPHRATA — Getting that first driver’s license is kind of a rite of passage for a teenager. But some aren’t content to drive around on the ground.“You'd be surprised at how safe the airplanes are,” said Cadet Lt. Col. Sophia Taylor. “When you drive, you just turn on the engine. But with the airplane, there is this huge checklist just to make sure that you really don't miss anything, and we always follow that checklist in everything that we do. If you're following all components of the checklist and you're abiding by all regulations, then it's really safe.”Taylor, 17, is the cadet commander for this year’s Desert Eagle Flight Academy, an intensive 10 day training course at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher at the Ephrata Airport. There are 20 cadets this year, coming from nine states, according to Lt. Col. Kathy Maxwell, the Columbia Basin Composite Squadron’s director of cadet programs.”
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  The solo flights occurred on August 3, 2026No usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  A 10-day training program was held at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher“Taylor, 17, is the cadet commander for this year’s Desert Eagle Flight Academy, an intensive 10 day training course at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher at the Ephrata Airport.”
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  The training program attracted 20 cadets from nine states“There are 20 cadets this year, coming from nine states, according to Lt. Col. Kathy Maxwell, the Columbia Basin Composite Squadron’s director of cadet programs.”
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  Cadet Lt. Col. Sophia Taylor is 17 years old“Taylor, 17, is the cadet commander for this year’s Desert Eagle Flight Academy, an intensive 10 day training course at Civil Air Patrol Camp Robert Boucher at the Ephrata Airport.”
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  Cadet Lt. Col. Sophia Taylor noted the program's focus on safety checklists and regulations“"You'd be surprised at how safe the airplanes are," said Cadet Lt. Col. Sophia Taylor. "When you drive, you just turn on the engine. But with the airplane, there is this huge checklist just to make sure that you really don't miss anything, and we always follow that checklist in everything that we do. If you're following all components of the checklist and you're abiding by all regulations, then it's really safe."”
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  The academy is one of only a dozen in the country“There are only a dozen academies like Desert Eagle in the country, Maxwell said, which is why Desert Eagle attracts cadets from all over.”
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  The academy offers extended training opportunities compared to typical June programsNo usable supporting receipt — unverified.
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  Cadets like Marc Gourley from Iowa participated in the academy“Cadet Marc Gourley came from Ames, Iowa to Ephrata because most of the Civil Air Patrol academies take place in June, he said, and his 16th birthday came too late for him to qualify for those.”
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  Marc Gourley from Iowa participated in the academy after missing earlier deadlines“Cadet Marc Gourley came from Ames, Iowa to Ephrata because most of the Civil Air Patrol academies take place in June, he said, and his 16th birthday came too late for him to qualify for those.”