One Bermudian's dream of flying an aircraft became a reality in Atlanta last week and now 17-year-old CedarBridge Academy student Darren Thompson plans to make a career of piloting commercial airliners.

The Somerset resident recently completed an introductory course at the Falcon Aviation Academy that touched on the basic elements of flying, such as navigation, take off and landing as well as flying at various altitudes at the controls of a DA40 Diamond Star a single engine aircraft specifically designed for training purposes that comes with a hefty $334,950 price tag.

It was an experience that got Darren's aviation juices flowing and reinforced a burning desire to make it all the way to the top in a profession certainly not cut out for the faint in heart.

"I had full control of the plane during my two flights which wasn't difficult as I am well skilled at what I do," he said, with an air of confidence belying his still tender years. "I took off and landed the plane myself and I enjoy flying because of the feeling of being in the air and travelling. I actually plan to fly commercial airlines in the future, and I am very confident that I will achieve my goal."

The Falcon Aviation Academy, ranked among the best in the US, is located at the Falcon Field Airport in Peachtree City and caters to both domestic and international students.

Approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight training school offers its students the unique experience of flying in a wide range of Diamond aircraft that boast superior performance, avionics and cockpit visibility compared to any other training type of aircraft.

The flight academy's mission statement is to provide the customer with the "highest quality of aviation training and experience in pursuing their aviation interests and/or careers".

"My first impression of the academy was the friendly atmosphere and then there was the excitement of actually knowing that I was going to fly a plane," Darren added.

The youngster's lofty ambitions and optimism is shared by proud parents Lynn and Anthony Thompson who have given their son their "total support" and are equally as confident that his dream of flying professionally will come to fruition.

"Once he graduates from CedarBridge we will try to get him enrolled in aviation academy because Darren has always wanted to fly since the age of ten," recalled his mom. "Whenever we travelled he always wanted to find a small aviation school and take a lesson or two."

Pursuing a career as a pilot does not come cheap as a four-year training curriculum can range from anywhere between $36,000 to $56,000 annually.

Still, Darren's parents are prepared to make the necessary financial sacrifices and are keeping their fingers crossed their son can earn an academic scholarship to help offset costs to attend flight school.

"We support him totally because we think it is worth it," Mrs. Thompson added. "Whatever Darren wants to do in life we stand by him, and when he puts his mind to something he usually gets it done."