The Vail Daily
Rick Ramunno
flies his date to prom
By Derek Franz
yenterprise.com dfranz@eaglevalle
d pilot and took unno is a license m Ra ck Ri or ni Eagle Valley se prom. ride before the date for a plane
When it comes to his career goal, Eagle Valley High School graduate Rick Ramunno is already airb orne. The 18-year-old earned his private pilot license in February and even took his prom date for a spin – in an airplane – around Castle Peak before attending the dance. “I had to ask her parents if I could take her up in the plane,” Ramunno said. “I saved up my money for it and we flew for about 25 minutes in great weather.” A plane rental at the Eagle County Regional Airport costs $150 an hour. Ramunno isn’t sure exactly how much his prom flight ran him. “I haven’t received the bill yet, but whatever,” he said. He started working on his pilot’s license about two years ago, which is an expensive process. More than 40 hours of flight time are needed to earn a
license and the instruction, airplane rental and fuel all cost a bit of money. “I received a scholarship from the Leroy W. Homer Jr. Foundation a year ago and that sped up the process,” he said. “They only award one scholarship a year and basically give you whatever you need to finish your license.” Homer was a commercial pilot who thwarted terrorists during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. His widow started the foundation the following year and many of its recipients have made their way into noteworthy careers in aviation. Ramunno plans to study aviation technology at Metropolitan State University in Denver next year. He is also applying to the U.S. Marine Corps’ officer program with a military
his prom
Eagle Valle y senior Ric k Ramunn o. occupational specialty in aviation. “This will make me a commissioned officer with the USMC upon college graduation,” he said. An airplane ride at an Eagle Flight Days event was Ramunno’s first exposure to flying when he was 12. “I knew then that I wanted to be a pilot,” he said. “I’d always had an interest because my grandpa flew bombers in World War II and that got me amped up.” Ramunno balanced the demands of pilot training with school and playing football and lacrosse for the Devils. His dad, John, is the head football coach there. “Besides getting my license, another highlight this year was our great football season,” said Rick Ramunno. “Playing for my dad was a blast. It was great always having
him there to push me. I’m going to miss it.” Rick Ramunno played fullback and linebacker for the Devil gridders and defense on lacrosse. “One of the things I like about flying is that there is a lot of adrenaline, like football,” he said. “My mom was kind of freaked out at first, when I started my pilot training, but now she knows I’m safe.”
| Tuesday, May 21, 2013 | C1