Elliot Kintz travels more than the average person. In 2024 alone he had been on five long plane rides so he knows travel like the back of his hand. Eliott’s aspiration to become a pilot started in freshman year when he realized he could travel frequently while earning an income. At the Westmoreland County Air Show, he met a flight school called Laurel Highlands Aeronautical Academy and they got him set up on the path to achieve his dreams. “We went on a flight and I thought this would be a pretty cool job to have. I already knew all of the benefits of being a pilot but on this flight it struck me that this is what I’ll probably do,” said Eliott. He didn’t get started until November of 2023 when he went on a discovery flight with his flight instructor Nolan Chambers. “We went up, did a few maneuvers, and I was instantly hooked,” said Eliott.
He wants to travel and explore the world, if he has the opportunity. “There are many different places and cultures, different from what I’m used to, which adds variation in life. People who don’t want to see the whole world are missing out on what life has to offer them,” he explains. He has truly been all throughout the world. He starts his list, “Austria, London, New York, Maine, Florida, Georgia, Utah, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, Wisconsin, Costa Rica.”
He has been to Park City, Utah about ten times, which is about 18,000 miles, so he invests lot of time flying and being around the airport scene. “I’d say at least three places per year from 2017-2018,” Eliott explained about his recent travels, “In January last year we went to Austria for a formal ball and to visit family. Then we went to Utah[where he owns a house in Park City]. In May we went to Hawaii, then back in July we went to Austria and Italy. After that we went to Canada in August. Since then I’ve been staying home.”
Eliott has taken the initial steps toward his dream by pursuing a private pilot’s license. He currently trains on a single-prop fixed-gear airplane 1978 Cessna 172, gaining the necessary flight hours to achieve his goal. So far, he has completed the required 40 hours of flight time. Within those hours, he had to fly at night and with fog goggles which stresses the use of his instruments, since he can’t see in the dark or in fog. He also completed his ten solo flights. Eliott said, “Solo flights are completely on your own. You’re just talking to the Air Traffic Control.” He flew a 50 nautical mile solo cross country flight from West Virginia to west of Pittsburgh and back to Latrobe. He even flew an impressive distance of up to 150 nautical miles flying solo as well. “My private pilot test is coming up in November and I feel pretty confident,” Eliott said with excitement.
After high school, Eliott plans to further his education by attending college to earn a professional pilot degree. He has set his sights on Kent State University, drawn to its newly developed aviation program and its own airport. “My next goal is probably going to be going to Kent State University for aviation and getting another degree in either business or finance,” he shares.
“I will most likely work as a CFI, which are flight instructors, to build my time flying.” He will need about 1500 hours before he can get his professional license. By working as a Certified Flight Instructor, he can help people learn to fly just like he is learning now while productively gaining hours. He said, “Getting to teach people how to fly for a small amount of time is great. The atmosphere and being around people that love aviation-it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Eliott’s ambitions extend beyond flying. He dreams of starting his own aviation business, ideally a charter service. Aviation is volatile and the field can be unpredictable; an example being the job losses experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. A background in business or finance would be an advantage to helping him start up a business in the aviation field. Since the field is ever-changing, having a business of his own is a cautionary but riveting idea.
The sights from above can be beautiful-and yet distracting. In the beginning of his training, Eliott explained how he would get caught off guard peering out the window but now as his training intensifies he has to “dial in” during every flight. “When I had to take on more responsibilities of flying I realized how it works your brain. You have to pay attention to so many things so it tires you out,” said Eliott. He looks out for certain landmarks to tell where he is. “A lot of farm equipment like silos and barns. I’ll use lighted towers like the old power plant in Homer City.” he said.
In the future, Eliott hopes to fly commercially for Delta Airlines. He flew with them a lot throughout all of his travels. He said, “They treat their staff and flight attendants the best. To me knowing that your crew is paid fairly is nice to know.
Traveling is engraved in who he is and he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Eliott wants to help people through flying by connecting them to other people and cultures just like he has experienced through his travels. “Knowing I am either bringing people home or helping them see the world is an amazing feeling,” he said. The sky’s the limit for Eliott and his future flying planes.
