God provided all the steps for me. I just had to lean out over the edge of the boat and take the step. Like many other students, sophomore John Moore sat in a comfortable chair in a quiet place, preparing for an upcoming test. However, Moore was not studying 1n the library like his classmates, he was sitting in a pilot's lounge hundreds of miles away from campus. Episodes like this were just a day in the life of Moore, Harding's own student pilot. A business management major, Moore had been flying planes since he was 19 years old. Moore worked at the Searcy Airport after his senior year of high school, where he met Ken McConnaughhay, the official pilot for Harding. McConnaughhay informed Moore of an open copilot position and began teaching him to fly a few weeks later. "God provided all the steps for me," Moore said. "I just had to lean out over the edge of the boat and take the step." Moore spent about flve months training to get his Iicense. He had to collect 40 hours of flying time and pass a written exam as well as a flying check-ride, which was similar to the driving portion of the test to get a driver's license. After almost two years of flying, Moore had an mcident most pi lots prepare for but hope to never experience when the right engine of his plane failed and he had to land the plane where he could receive a quick repair and be on his way. Despite what could have been a serious problem, Moore was not fazed. "It sounds serious, but King Airs and many other multi-engine turbine aircraft fly surprisingly well on one engine," Moore said. "So our main concern was landing the airplane somewhere where 1t could be repaired fairly quickly. That's when Ken and I picked Syracuse International. Along with some help from Air Traffic Control, we were able to fly and land the airplane with no other issues." Aside from the stresses of the job, it also came with a few perks, including getting to know President David Burks on a more personal level. "Dr. Burks is very personable," Moore said. "He really cares a lot about Harding, but even more about the students. It's been wonderful to be able to see that fl rst hand." Moore balanced much more than the average student but was thankful for the flexibility and understanding of his professors. Though keeping up could be tricky, Moore continued to spread out his books in pilots' lounges across the country to study and do homework, making him one of the busiest students at Harding with one of the most unusual schedules. Heidi Tabor sophomore feature 8 9 ::X
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==