Atomic Helicopters, a Seattle-based helicopter flight school announces Preston Gulledge,a high school student of local The Overlake School, completed his Private Pilot practical test, earning his Rotorcraft-Helicopter rating on June 1, 2014.  He is the youngest student to date to have graduated from Atomic Helicopters’ scenario-based, syllabus-centric flight training program, and one of the youngest helicopter pilots in the country.Gulledge earned his Private Pilot’s Licenseat the FAA minimum age of 17, and in a mere 43.6 hours, as part of his senior class project for his high school.The FAA mandates the minimum hours of 40 to accomplish such a rating.

Bryan Kaasa, Owner and Chief Pilot for Atomic Helicopters says, “We’re extremely proud to be part of Preston’s success.  He is a terrific student, and a great example of what a student can accomplish when one dedicates him or herself to learning to fly.”  NotesKaasa,“It also validatesthe combination of our unique scenario-based flight training program with our chosen training platform produces rapid results for our students.”  Atomic Helicopters uses Schweizer 300 model helicopters, a rugged training aircraft that traces its lineage to the same aircraft used in primary flight training in the US Army.

Preston’s parents, Carl and Melody Gulledge, are beaming.  “He was looking for something meaningful to do; to contribute,” says Carl, “the freedom and complexity of helicopter piloting fit well with Preston’s draw toward mastering challenging endeavors.”One of only a handful of helicopter pilots under the age of 18, Preston Gulledge began flight training on March 8th, earning his rating some 100 days later.  Continues CarlGulledge, “Atomic was wonderful about accommodating the unique scheduling needs of our high school student and tailoring the curriculum to optimize his learning pace.”

About Atomic Helicopters

Founded in 2011, Atomic Helicopters offers scenario-based, syllabus-centric helicopter flight training for Private through Commercial students.  In addition, Atomic Helicopters offers student financing for flight training through financing partner Pilotfinance.com.  For more information visit www.atomichelicopters.com