Vincent Vala
Whitehawk Aviation Chief Flight Instructor J.J. Quinn (left) poses with the members of the Anderson family and their planes which are hangared at the Culpeper County Airport. From left are Melissa, Darien, Zac and Brad Anderson. Melissa, Darien and Zac have their pilots licenses.
Ever since childhood, Darien Anderson wanted to learn how to fly - a dream he didn't truly believe was attainable - until a few years ago.
After he and his wife, Melissa, opened the Mt. Run Bowling Center in downtown Culpeper with the help of their two sons, Zac and Brad, Anderson decided during a visit to the Culpeper County AirFest in October of 2009 that it was finally time to go for it.
And within a few years of getting started, the Anderson family now frequently take to the skies as Darien, Melissa and Zac have all earned their pilot licenses, and the family has a pair of planes they keep hangared at the Culpeper County Airport.
"I came to the 2009 air show and I figured, if I didn't do it now, I never would," Darien said. "So I jumped into it."
By March, Anderson had his license and his first plane. His wife and older son began learning to fly soon afterward.
Melissa said she started out wanting to learn only the basics.
"I just wanted to know what to do if anything happened to him," Melissa said. "Once I started learning, I wanted to keep going."
Zac, 17, said he has introduced many of his friends to aviation since obtaining his license last January.
Like his brother, Brad has logged ample flying hours working with Whitehawk Aviation Chief Flight Instructor J.J. Quinn.
But with a busy high school junior year ahead, Brad said he is "at a crossroad" about continuing to work toward his license right now.
Quinn said it is unusual to see an entire family of flying enthusiasts earn their pilot licenses.
Melissa said it is often women who do not fly - even in aviation-oriented families.
"A lot of the time the women are afraid of it, or they think it will be too complicated. If I can do it, they can, too," Melissa said. "You learn one thing at a time and then build on that."
In addition to being something the family can do together, Melissa said it's a great way for all of them to unwind after working hard at the bowling center.
"It's a great stress reliever because, when you're flying, you can't think about anything else."
Darien said the family is participating in Virginia's Ambassador Program.
"It's a program where you fly to all of the airports in Virginia; we have about 11 left," he said. "When you finish you get leather flight jackets and flight bags."
Darien said they have also flown "angel missions," in which medical patients are transported by plane to receive treatment at facilities they could not otherwise access.
"I've taken plenty of my friends up for flights," Darien said. "Any excuse I can find, I go flying."
Darien said the family has a Cessna 172, which is a very popular plane for beginning pilots and those in training.
"It's very economical and easy on fuel," he said.
Darien said he bought the Cessna for about $12,000 - the price many people might pay for a decent used car.
The family also has a Piper Lance, a larger plane which Darien said can carry more weight and is better for the family's longer trips.
"It's a more complex, higher-performance plane," he said. "They're all the same systems, but the systems are a little more complicated."
Darien said the family saves money by keeping both planes in a single hangar; they bought a lift system which allows them to store one plane above the other.
Darien says they also do a lot of the maintenance themselves with guidance from certified mechanics at the local facility.
"There are ways to save money and make it more affordable," he said. "Some people might take $90 and go play golf. I take my $90 and buy gasoline and go flying. It's just a matter of priorities."
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