Charles Smit, Florida-based Associate Partner with EPI-USE Global Services, passes FAA Private Pilot checkride.

Roughly a year after commencing ab initio flight training, in late November Charles successfully took the FAA oral examination followed by the practical checkride at Orlando Executive Airport. Unusually for Florida, a cold front in November brought chilly, windy weather, putting the kibosh on the practical checkride on the scheduled day, but Charles decided to proceed with the oral portion of the test, typically a grueling, multi-hour ordeal with an FAA-designated examiner. The practical flight test would have to wait for better weather, on another day.

That day turned out to be a balmy November 28th, when Charles took to the air all on his own in the Cessna 172 that had become his aerial classroom over several months of intense flight training. This is just the beginning for Charles’ aviation exploits, since he already has his eye on a few exciting avenues for advanced training, and hopefully an Instrument Rating in due course.

Charles was part of the 2023 class of the Group’s ‘You Too Can Fly’ program, and the third person to undergo flight training at Florida’s highly regarded ‘Flight Training Professionals’ flight school. He was taught by Chief Flight Instructor Evan Pickle, who also presided over Jon Jenkins and Gerhard van Schalkwyk’s training. Both Jon and Gerhard are now licensed pilots.

On vacation in South Africa recently, Charles put his new piloting skills to good and exciting use with a local flight with a South African flying instructor.