Aviation student Alex Oi Moreno ’19 earns solo flight endorsement

Please join the Aviation department in congratulating Alex Oi Moreno ’19 on earning his solo endorsement. Alex flew solo for the first time on November 13, 2018, in a Cessna 172 N54067 at Albert Whitted airport on runway 18.

Planes have always interested Alex, who is a 7-day boarder from Nagoya, Japan. He wasn’t sure at first whether aviation was the right choice for him, but after joining the program with some friends, he now loves it.

Alex has been at Farragut since the 8th grade and has been in the aviation program since his sophomore year. Still, he was nervous his first time flying alone.

“When my flight instructor stepped out of the plane his first words were ‘don’t mess up’,” Alex recalled with a laugh. “The first landing was nerve-wracking, but after that, I knew what I was doing so I felt much more confident.”

“It’s cool to get a chance to fly in high school,” he continued. “Not many kids do. There’s not much opportunity for that back home in Japan. I always have friends from home text me and tell me they’re jealous I get to fly when they have to wait till they graduate and come to the US.”

At Farragut, Alex is involved in cross country, soccer, track, student government, and he is the president of the math club. He has been accepted to Jacksonville University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Lynn University. He plans to major in Aeronautical Science with the goal of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

“I love being in the air,” Alex said. “Farragut has such a rigorous program, but when you’re in the air, it takes away all the stress and worries about homework and academics. It’s very freeing.”