Aviation student Eiki “Luke” Matsuyoshi ’19 earns solo flight endorsement

Please join the Aviation department in congratulating Eiki “Luke” Matsuyoshi ’19 on earning his solo endorsement. Luke flew solo for the first time on Saturday, December 8 at Albert Whitted airport in a Cessna 172SP, tail number N6013J, on runway 18.

Luke is a 7-day boarder from Tokyo, Japan. He grew up around planes, with several family members who were part of the aviation career, and he’s always wanted to be a pilot.

There were a lot of firsts when Luke flew solo. “It was windy that day,” he said. “When I took off, the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) told me the wind shear was happening, which I’d never experienced. I was on a runway I didn’t normally use, and it was a little confusing, but the ATC helped me step by step and I landed.”

“It felt weird,” he continued. “The aircraft was very light, and I was the only one there, so I was nervous.”

At Farragut, Luke is involved in golf, soccer, drone club, yearbook, and he is president of the photography club. His outside hobbies include surfing and Japanese martial arts. He has applied to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a few other colleges in California. His goal is to become a commercial airline pilot.

“I love seeing a bird eye view of the world,” he said. “I fly drones, but that’s different because you’re on the ground. You’re looking at it through a camera. But when you’re in a plane, you’re seeing it for real.”