Jonathan Strickland featured in Compton Bulletin

Compton Bulletin
Last Updated 6/28/06

Young Pilot Sets Records With Solo Flights at 14

Jonathan Strickland, 14, prepares for his record-breaking flight to Canada with the supervision of Robin Petgrave, executive director at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum in Compton. —Photo Courtesy of Celebrity Helicopters

By Cheryl Scott
Bulletin Staff Writer
Jonathan Strickland, 14, can’t drive a car yet, but he can fly a helicopter. In fact, he is currently in the midst of setting three world records on a historic flight to Canada. He set off on a trip to solo in the neighboring country to the north because the legal age for solo flights in the United States. is 16.

He piloted a Robinson R44 helicopter from Compton-Woodley Airport to Boundary Bay Airport near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and will soon be on his way back, making him the youngest African American to pilot a helicopter roundtrip internationally.

Jonathan successfully lifted off at 6:53 a.m. Thursday, June 22. As he left on his journey, Jonathan performed several maneuvers and a fly-by in his helicopter before taking off into the skies over Los Angeles headed northward.

He flew at the controls for over 10 hours the first day, refueling and stopping at Harris Ranch Airport in Coalinga, Napa County Airport in Napa and Arcata-Eureka Airport in McKinleyville before resting overnight at the North Bend Airport in Oregon due to safety concerns about high winds. He finished the remainder of the trip Friday, June 23.

He was accompanied on the 30-hour flight by his mentor and flight instructor Robin Petgrave, executive director of Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum in Compton.

While in Canada, Jonathan is attempting to take and pass the Canadian requirements to solo a Cessna-152 airplane and a Robinson R22 helicopter, making him the youngest pilot in history to solo both types of aircraft on the same day. The target dates for these flights, according to a press release, are today, June 28, and tomorrow, June 29.

The flight has garnered intense media coverage, even going national, said John Strickland, Jonathan’s father. “When he took off this morning Channel 4, 7 and 2 were all there. The press has called my house all day long. I’m happy to take their calls. It’s a very happy day.”

Jonathan graduated this year from St. Francis Cabrini School in Inglewood and will enter the ninth grade in September as a freshman at Cleveland High School in Reseda. He has been training to fly since 2003 and has logged more than 60 hours of combined flight training.

He has been involved with the aeronautical museum’s youth program since he met Petgrave at the age of 6, according to John.

Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum, located at Compton-Woodley Airport, 961 W. Alondra Blvd., teaches aviation, engineering and flying to economically disadvantaged students as young as 11 years old. The program recently was the subject of a Congressional Resolution in recognition of its success.

Petgrave founded the museum in Torrance and brought it to its location at Compton-Woodley Airport at the invitation of Mayor Eric Perrodin. “We matched the mayor’s vision of what he wanted for the city of Compton,” said Petgrave. “Our program — and the exceptional accomplishments of our young pilots — has brought favorable notice to the city.”

“Our program is really phenomenal,” said Petgrave. “At first I thought it was great when we had one young pilot of this caliber. Now we have more than 50.”

The program has received acclaim throughout the country and in Canada.

Students must do community service to earn a place in the program. The program is open to kids 8 to 18 years of age. It takes place after school and on weekends, and the kids have an opportunity to use a flight simulator as well as learn about aviation history, avionics and engineering.

John Strickland told The Bulletin that his son developed too much interest in the program. “He was starting to let his school work slip,” he said. “So we had to take it away for a while to get him to get caught up on his work. He got that done really fast, because he was really motivated to get back to the flight simulators.”

Strickland is an entrepreneur and operates a car detailing business in Palos Verdes Hills. His wife and her mother are both in real estate. “I believe in entrepreneurship,” he said. “I tell Jonathan that he should find a way to have his own helicopter business. That’s the way to really get ahead.”

He is aware that his son could make far worse choices than becoming a teenage pilot who spends all his time on a flight simulator. “When you think of the trouble kids can get into these days, you have to be relieved when they develop an interest in something that is healthy,” he said.

Jonathan has made up his mind to become a commercial airline pilot, said his father. “I think that’s excellent,” he said. “He could be involved in other activities that are negative and lead to future trouble. Our family has always been very supportive of Jonathan’s interest in the museum. His grandparents, coupled with my wife, my in-laws and myself have always been available to drive him over there after school. We appreciate Robin’s mentorship of Jonathan and we appreciate his program. He’s doing great things for our young people.”

The programs at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum are funded through grants and donations. Programs include Aviation Explorers, which offers children a place to be mentored and to learn leadership, attitude and behavioral skills.

“Exposure to new experiences and knowledge is the key to true life success,” said Petgrave. “Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum is following the long-standing traditions of the police, the sheriff department, the fire department, the customs department and the California Highway Department, all of which have Explorer programs sanctioned by the national program, Learning for Life.”

Jonathan is expected to land Saturday, July 1 at 11 a.m. in Compton to a hero’s welcome. An open house will be held at the museum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.