You’ve all probably heard of Maverick and Goose, but have you heard of Jack Hanks and Reagan Williams?

Hanks and Williams, both seniors soon to graduate from Normal West, are well on their journey to becoming professional pilots. 

Both have been working diligently towards earning their PPL (Private Pilot’s License); however, each has taken a different path.

Still, they both look forward to achieving this goal as soon as possible. 

“I would say the hardest license to get is probably a PPL because you’re going from zero knowledge to having to know the majority of your flight and everything about the physics of [flying],” Hanks added. 

Williams happens to be the more experienced pilot of the two, as he has been flying since he was eleven years old. 

However, Hanks is not the type to fall behind even though he began his training in May of last year. 

“I have 54.7 hours really and I will get my license in probably May,” Hanks explained. 

In addition to their paths to the career, their training style also differs.

Hanks is learning through a private school called Synergy Flight Center, which works out of the Central Illinois Regional Airport.

“I would put it as [Jack is] doing like a private school for [training] and I’m homeschooling,” Williams said.

Williams is dedicated to his passion and because of his circumstances, he has much more freedom and control over his schedule. 

“I’ve set up my schedule to wear the first 3 hours of my day I fly and I get to school credit for it and so I fly every morning about two and a half hours every day,” Williams noted.

Hanks is in the air about “2 hours a week on Saturdays,” but he is looking forward to the height of spring when there is more daylight so he can start flying after school again.

Their preparation before taking flight also looks different, as they each gain more confidence in the air. 

“When I’m driving to my flight, I listen to country music because it calms me down a little bit [right before] big test and just [gets me into] the right mindset I think,” Hanks noted. “And, I normally drink a coke.”

Williams is already adopting the laid-back attitude of a pilot. 

He has the freedom to personalize his plane more than Hanks might because of his “home-school” training. 

“I take the plane out of the hangar. I got my water bottle and I have a speaker with me because the plane I fly is very, very old [1970 model],” Williams described.

Each of them discovered their interest in flying throughout childhood. 

For Hanks, anytime his family would fly to a vacation, he was enamored by the airport experience. 

William’s first experience flying came about when his father sent him to a military experience where a group participated in simulated search and rescue missions.  

Even though “[his] plane never really found anybody,” Williams’ passion for flying was just discovered. 

Williams flies as much as he can. So much so, he flew his girlfriend to prom in 2024. 

“I love flying when the sun is coming up,” Williams noted.

Hanks explained his favorite part about flying: “I like seeing the Earth from a top down view–where

things are around town and stuff like my house and lakes and towns.”

The boys understand the risks that come with this career: flying is in fact “life or death,” as Hanks states. 

Fortunately, each of their families have been very supportive and guided the boys on their journey to becoming pilots.

“I wanted to drive trains, and I found out they don’t make very much money, so I thought the next logical step is just to go fly planes,” Williams added. 

Williams’ father is an instrumental part of his training. His father motivated Williams to commit to this path. 

“As soon as I showed care, [even a little bit], about [flying], he went all in and immediately put me into everything I needed to do to get [further],” Williams noted.

They have each set up different paths for their careers when they earn their professional licenses and take-off after high school.

Williams will work at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois instructing freshman students on the basics of flying.

Hanks plans on attending Western Michigan University to gain further education.