VW native is Cessna summer pilot intern

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert native Ryan Todd’s head is in the clouds this summer. In fact, Todd will spend most of his summer actually in the clouds as one of six pilot interns flying to air shows and other aviation events for airplane maker Cessna’s “Discover Flying Challenge”.

Todd was at Van Wert County Regional Airport on Tuesday to show off the customized Cessna 172 Skyhawk he will be flying this summer and to share his excitement about aviation.

Todd, the son of Mike and Lorali Todd of Van Wert, knew he wanted to be a pilot early on. “I got bit by the bug from a young age,” he said. “Even back in kindergarten when they have you draw with crayon what you want to be when you grow up, it was always a pilot.”

Part of Todd’s fascination with flying stemmed from the fact his family lived on Lincoln Street, not far from the local airport, while he was growing up. “I was always hanging around the airport as a kid, bugging the airport manager,” he noted, adding he was also involved in the Van Wert Civil Air Patrol group as a teenager.

Todd, a 2011 graduate of distinction at Van Wert High School, will be a senior this fall at the University of Eastern Michigan, where he is majoring in aviation flight technology with the aim of becoming a professional pilot. He began taking flight lessons at age 16 at the local airport and got his pilot’s license when he turned 17.

After graduation from Eastern Michigan, he said he will likely “pay his dues” as a flight instructor for a while before, hopefully, realizing his dream of being a professional pilot.

Todd said he first learned about the Cessna Discover Flying Challenge, now in its second year, while at college and quickly applied for the program. He had to undergo an interview by a panel of Cessna staffers, as well as a flight interview, before being selected as one of the six pilot interns.

As part of the Discover Flying Challenge, the Van Wert native will be flying to various events in the Great Lakes Region, which extends from Minnesota to Kentucky, and then all six pilot interns will attend the “capstone” event of the program: the Oshkosh (Wis.) Air Show.

The program began June 15 with a fly-in at Strother Field Industrial Park in Winfield, Kan.

The two main focuses of the Discover Flying Challenge are to, first, share the pilot interns’ love of flying and, two, bring awareness to five not-for-profit organizations Cessna is partnering with this year. Those organizations include the United Way, American Red Cross, Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles, Special Olympics and Veterans Airlift Command.

Todd said that, in addition to his flying responsibilities, he will also do some volunteer work for the five featured non-profit groups at each stop on his itinerary, noting that he met with local United Way Executive Director Deb Russell following his flight to Van Wert.

Todd and the other five pilot interns will also be providing social media updates on their experiences with flying and philanthropy during the summer. The Van Wert native can be seen on Facebook at “Ryan for Discover Flying Challenge” and on Twitter at @DFC13Ryan.

All six Discover Flying Challenge pilots’ progress can also be accessed through SocialFlight, a website that provides a mobile app providing detailed pilot itineraries and mapped appearances. The SocialFlight apps are available at the iTunes App Store for Apple mobile devices and on the Google Play Store for Android devices.

Meanwhile, Todd said he is excited about being part of the Cessna project and the opportunity to fly to a number of regional aviation shows and related events, as well as helping out some deserving not-for-profit organizations.

“It’s going to be a very fun summer and hopefully raise awareness of some very good causes,” he said.