Young pilot has eyes on skies

As a toddler Chris Donohoe talked about flying Spitfire planes after watching the World War II-era movie "Battle of Britain."

As a 5-year-old, he and his older brother, Craig, played with a large plastic toy aircraft carrier and toy airplanes in the family's swimming pool.

On his 16th birthday on March 28, he flew solo in a Cessna for a half-hour around the Yuba County Airport in Olivehurst, heading toward his goal of attending the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., after high school and having a career in the Air Force.

"It felt like I was stealing the plane," he said Thursday while talking about the flying experience without an instructor — his dad — aboard. "You think 'don't screw up' the whole time. There's no time to think about how awesome this is."

The young man, a sophomore at Marysville High School, is the third generation in his family to fly — dad Bob Donohoe of Penn Valley is a captain for SkyWest Airlines and his grandfather, the late James E. Donohoe, was a pilot for American Airlines and, as a civilian, trained military pilots during World War II.

When youngsters talk about flying airplanes, "You go along with that," Bob Donohoe said. "Here we are. He's flying the real ones."

"This is something he wanted to do from day one," said Chris' mother, Jane Donohoe of Yuba City. "I know this is something that's in him; it's in his blood. I'm happy for him."

Chris' first solo was witnessed at the airport by his parents and his brother. Legally he wasn't able to fly solo until he turned 16 and can't get a pilot's license until he is 17.

A first lieutenant cadet in the Civil Air Patrol Beale Composite Squadron 19, and a member since he was 12 years old, Chris is also a member of the Beale Air Force Base Aero Club.

And he also finds time to play as a pitcher on the Marysville High junior varsity baseball team.

This weekend he is serving as the cadet commander for a three-day basic cadet school on Beale for Civil Air Patrol members from throughout Northern California.

Chris doesn't have a driver's license but has logged 20 hours flying time. He started taking flying lessons in early 2007, first flying seaplanes on a trip to Florida where his father renewed his flight instructor rating and since repositioning airplanes at the Yuba County Airport.

He's been flying about once a week, using airplanes owned by the Beale Aero Club.

"Every kid that wants to be an aviator dreams of flying at 16 years of age," said Civil Air Patrol Commander Mathew Warner. "I'm very proud to have him in my squadron. He's a great kid."

If, for some reason, Chris does not serve in the Air Force, he would be an airline pilot, he said.

"I would still go out and fly whenever I could."

Contact Leticia Gutierrez at 749-4722 or lgutierrez@appealdemocrat.com.