Yinger offering flight instruction, eying another lofty goal

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A Crestview High School graduate is flying high these days and hopes to help others do the same while at the same time working toward his ultimate goal. Garrett Yinger, who graduated with the Crestview High School Class of 2024, is now a flight instructor and is offering lessons to locals at the Van Wert County Regional Aiport.

After graduating from high school, Yinger headed to Florida and King Sky Flight Academy for training to get his initial pilot’s license, which he obtained in Van Wert. While at the flight school, Yinger was involved with a structured flight program to get certified and has logged approximately 300 flight hours. 

While offering flying lessons, Yinger is also building up hours to go to a regional airline or a corporate pilot position and he’s taking online college courses to help build his resume to be more competitive with airlines or a possible corporate position. To obtain a position with an airline, he’ll need to log at least 1,500 flight hours, along with commercial, multi-engine and ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) licenses.

“It takes a while but that’s the ultimate goal,” Yinger said.

Currently, Yinger is currently able to offer flight instruction on any propeller driven aircraft or any aircraft under 12,500 pounds that doesn’t have a type rating.

“Any kind of basic flying like learning how to fly and I can teach more complex single engine aircraft as well,” he explained. “The FAA requires a minimum of 40 hours total time. It breaks down into different hours like cross country time, instruction time and solo time…I can get you to those 40 hours and once you take the test and pass you get your private pilot’s license.”

Yinger said his interest in flying began during his junior year in high school and began taking discovery flights at the local airport.

“I loved it and from there I was kind of hooked and went full-in into aviation and tried to learn as much as I could,” he said. “I’m still trying to learn a lot – aviation is an industry that you’re always learning. There’s always something new and that’s also what brought me into the aviation field.”

The CEO (Career Education Opportunity) program, which is in its 10th year at Van Wert High School. It’s offered to seniors as an elective course where students are released during the school day and partnered with either a teacher to provide educational experiences or local businesses which will provide internships, apprenticeships, or other business opportunities. Students have the opportunity to learn the skill sets that are necessary for a specific career and learn the soft skills necessary in the work force. Students will complete the course knowing the type of post-secondary education/training required in their career field. Since its start, the program has been made available to seniors at Crestview and Lincolnview, and it helped accelerate things for Yinger.

“That was great for me, it really opened up the world of aviation, more than just flying – it showed me the operational side of things, how airports are managed, what it takes for day-to-day operations and things like that,” Yinger said. “That helped me as a pilot understand how aiports operate when I fly in and out of them and overall propelled me more into loving aviation and pursuing something in that field.”

“He’s a great worker, just very intelligent and it seemed like you’d tell him one thing and you learned you didn’t have to teach him over and over,” Van Wert County Regional Airport Manager Jim Black said. “It worked out wonderfully for us and then he got a part time job here after he graduated because he knew the daily operations. It’s really amazing to watch his growth and how he’s reaching his goals.”

Black added the airport still works with interested CEO students.

“It’s wonderful to have the youth out here interested in aviation,” Black said.

Anyone interested in local flight lessons can contact the Van Wert County Regional Airport or Yinger directly at 419.771.3587 or info@gsflightservice.com, or gsflightservice.com.