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Darling Downs Aero Club
Est. 1946
She had to pull herself away from the crowd and have a moment alone, beside the runway.
She wasn't nervous because she was about to make Darling Downs Aero Club history. She was excited because the moment she had been training for since age 11 was about to happen.
On December 5, Emily took her first solo-powered flight and was the youngest to do so at the club.
"I feel like I've achieved something that not a lot of people will do in this lifetime; age is just a number, the achievement itself is more special.
"I've always liked aviation and it's a passion for me to be up in the air, in control of an aircraft and making my own decisions.”
Emily hopes to turn the passion into a career one day - whether it's flying commercially for an airline or with the Royal Australian Air Force.
"So now I'll have more solo flights then move on to further training,” she said.
"I'll soon be able to leave the area around the airfield and fly out to training areas near Westbrook and Cambooya.”
Her mother Ros Taylor said she was more nervous capturing the moment on video than she was about her daughter flying solo for the first time.
"The training is outstanding so I've never thought twice about it,” she said.
"Emily has always said she wanted to be a pilot and she's been surrounded by aviation, with her father working in the industry.
"Growing up, she always had to go to some type of display or air show then when she was training I always used to have to go up with her because she was so young.”
Ms Taylor said Emily has been home-schooled since she was six and was following an interest-led curriculum.
"We've really fostered her interests because we're home-schooled, so we take time out to do these things,” she said.
"As a community our children can achieve big things without formal education. By following our children we know when to reach out to our community experts such as the Darling Downs Aero club.”
Emily thanked flight instructors Marilyn Anderson and Mike Waldburger.
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