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Fil-Am teenager becomes licensed pilot at 17
At 17 and already a licensed private pilot, high school student Carrie Tucaling is aiming for the skies. Specifically, to be a military pilot.
Which is just curious, since she was not really fond of planes when she was a kid. "'Oh, it's a plane, it flies," was her usual deadpan reaction every time her uncle would take her "plane spotting," she told GMA News Online.
Then suddenly planes started looking "cool" — credit to the same uncle and one of Tucaling's high school instructors.
"I say I blame my uncle and one of my instructors, because my uncle always had an interest in airplanes and my instructor would talk about airplanes a lot too because he used to be in the military, and while he was in the military, he's part of a military aircraft demonstration team," Tucaling said.
Tucaling is part of her school's Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. With her new-found love of flying, she decided last June to join the flight academy.
The two-month training in Indiana meant that the Houston, Texas-based teenager had to be away from her family.
"It just felt foreign to me, but also I couldn't really connect with them because I was always busy with my schooling or just the wi-fi was so bad over there. So it's hard to connect with them," said Tucaling.
"It's kinda upsetting me sometimes 'cause there will be events that would happen and I couldn't be for them, it kinda sucked, but I'm just glad that I'm back and I'm with them."
"At one point, I was beating myself up for it because I'm working twice as hard for something that we're all getting. What does it have to say for myself? So I felt angry at myself at one point, but I overcame it," she said.
As she prepared for her final exams in the academy, Tucaling was grateful for her friends who stayed up with her to help her.
"I'm not the best at remembering. So I kept having people stay up until midnight and help me review again and again [...] I stayed up until two in the morning doing all of my logs, reviewing my papers, my worksheets, my maps, like everything," she shared.
"So pretty much it wasn't a 'me' thing, it's not just me studying, studying, but people helping me studying and encouraging me to study."
The final test for her license includes a written exam, oral test, and a flying test. With her faith and the support of the people around her, she passed the exam.
"And I also felt like that stay, the eight weeks, has also helped my faith in God. It made me realize that I trust Him in everything, and I just can't keep questioning or leaning to my understanding," she said.
"I'm grateful for God, and I'm also grateful for my family community, and my classmates for pushing me, and helping me every step in the way."
Tucaling sets her sights now on joining the US Air Force in the future and also help those who share the same passion with her.
"After I graduate high school, I plan to pursue my dream and become a pilot in the Air Force, and ultimately help other people that also seek the aviation interest and passion," she said.
For young Filipino-Americans just like her, Tucaling encourages everyone to keep on dreaming.
"So to Filipino-Americans abroad trying to execute their passion, I'll just say don't stop believing in yourself. Don't let things intimidate you...climb over that wall. Which I thought the same, that I even wondered how I got in it," she said.
"'Cause again, I wasn't the smartest and I still somehow made it. So just keep dreaming and keep hoping in yourself. Don't overthink, just go with the flow and you're gonna make it. There's people out there who will help you," Tucaling said. —KBK, GMA Integrated News
