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Today in Mississippi
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August 2016
Young pilot’s dream takes flight By building his own airplane, John Luke Gross achieves what many pilots only dream about
son not only the motor skills to operate a plane but the proper mindset of a pilot. “It was pretty smooth sailing once he realized his old man knew what he was talking about,” Gross said. So when John Luke obtained a pilot’s license at age 17, as soon as legally possible, no one was surprised. But no one anticipated his next move. “To get my pilot’s license I was borrowing somebody else’s airplane, and after I got my license I had to give them back the keys,” John Luke said. “I was all excited to have my license but I couldn’t go fly anymore. I decided I wanted to build an airplane.” John Luke had always enjoyed building things, including modJohn Luke Gross’ confidence and self-motivation kept him on track for more than four els. But a real airplane? To fly? Fortunately for John Luke, his years while building an airplane with the help of his father. dad didn’t flinch. These same qualities led to John Luke’s selection as Central Electric Power Associa“I was all for it because that’s tion’s representative for the 2010 Electric Power Associations of Mississippi Youth Leadalso been my dream all my life. I ership program, including the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour in Washington, D.C. Youth Tour offers a rare and memorable opportunity that John Luke recommends for just always figured it would be my airplane I’d build first, not all high school juniors. “To do all that with people who become your friends is a lot of his,” Gross said laughing. fun, and just getting to see all the history, like George Washington’s house, is cool. I At first, John Luke had in wish I could go back and do it again,” he said. mind a simple ultralight plane, Read more about this summer’s Youth Tour on page 13. but Gross shot down that idea. “I
By Debbie Stringer John Luke Gross can’t remember a time in his 23 years when he didn’t want to fly. “He started learning when he was little, when he would ride with me,” John Gross, his father, said. “I told him whenever he could push the rudder pedals all the way to the floor, then I’d teach him to fly. So he really learned to fly when he was about 10.” Gross is an ex-military pilot and former flight instructor at Columbus Air Force Base, and a 16-year pilot for FedEx—a person well qualified to teach his
Another Youth Leadership success
John Luke was inspired by World War II-era aircraft when he chose colors and patterns for his airplane. He and his father, John, built the high-performance RV-4 aircraft from a series of kits. John Luke was 18 when they started the four-year project.
told him if he was going to build an airplane, he needed to build an airplane,” Gross said. He and John Luke chose the RV-4, a tandem-seat airplane manufactured in kit form by Van’s Aircraft. The propeller-powered aircraft is known for its safety, high performance and speed. They agreed that financing the project would be John Luke’s responsibility. “I told him I’d love to help him but I’ve got four kids to send to college. I can’t afford to build an airplane right now or I’d be building mine,” Gross said. “I paid for it by cutting grass. It was a lot of grass,” John Luke deadpanned. In fact, he mowed more than 1,700 yards, worked two summers at Central Electric Power Association and took on odd jobs—all while a full-time biological engineering student at Mississippi State University. Fortunately, John Luke didn’t have to pay for the entire project at once. Plane components arrived in a series of kits purchased separately, so as he and his dad worked on the tail kit, John Luke cut more grass to purchase the wings.