Mina Sous of East Petersburg, Pa., on the day of his first solo flight last month. Students in the four-year aviation program begin flight school in their first semester and will eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in leadership and organizational management and several flight certifications. (Photo courtesy of Aero-Tech Services, Inc.)

First solo flights with EMU Lancaster’s student-pilots: Meet Mina Sous

by EMU Communications

To read more profiles of student-pilots, visit https://emu.edu/now/news/category/academics/emu-at-lancaster/

Mina Sous is a student in EMU Lancaster’s leadership and organizational management (LOM) bachelor’s degree program with a concentration in aviation. He recently flew solo for the first time on Nov. 13, under instructor Andy Fowkes – his solo was a sensational topic of conversation at Thanksgiving dinner! Sous aspires to be a corporate airline pilot.

Sous, who is from East Petersburg, Pa., writes more about his experience in the aviation program below.

Why are you interested in aviation? What led to you pursuing this career path?

When I was younger I always loved visiting new places and flying in planes … I went to school at Millersville University to be a computer science major, but found out that’s not the career I wanted. My calling was to become a pilot all along.

What was your first solo experience like? Anything like you expected? 

I knew that my instructor was going to have me solo soon, but I did not know when. On Nov. 13 we went to the west ramp – he got out and told me to go solo. When I heard those words, all that was running through my mind was, “am I ready for this?” But I knew that my instructor taught me everything to be able to overcome this challenge. It was the best challenge I have ever overcome. The flight was exciting, and I was a bit nervous at the same time, but everything went great.

Did you do anything special to celebrate the flight?

My family was super excited when I came home and told them, especially my mother as she’s not a fan of flying. My solo was close to Thanksgiving so when we had our family over they would not stop talking about it and I felt proud.

Why did you choose EMU for your professional preparation?

I chose EMU because it is close to where I live … EMU was a great choice for me as everyone is nice and helpful.

What have you most enjoyed about the program so far?

I truly enjoy flying. Most importantly, I enjoy the environment that EMU has to offer. Being a part of cohort two is really nice; it’s like a family.