By Allison Morgan
While many high schoolers are getting their driver’s licenses and learning to navigate roads, some local teens are also maneuvering traffic in the sky with their pilot’s certifications. The Florida Keys Flight Academy is producing talented young pilots, some of whom are in high school or just graduated. Two recent success stories are those of standout students Ethan Sauders, 19, and Courtney Grabus, 18, who launched their aviation journeys two years ago.
Last week, Sauders, a 2024 Marathon High School graduate, became the youngest certified flight instructor of the current cadre of instructors at the academy. Just a few years ago, Sauders had never sat behind the controls of a plane before he embarked on the academy’s discovery flight – the starting point for pilots that gives them the feel of being beyond the control yoke. Now he has cross-country flight experience, flying from the Middle Keys to the Midwest.
“They do a really good job of preparing you because they introduce some of the real-world flying,” Sauders said. “A lot of places don’t do that. I got to fly to Wisconsin twice and on a couple of the legs of the trip solo, and that’s something that a lot of people don’t get to do.”
The academy was established in the early 2000s and in 2020 was bought by Sol Bradman, who has been flying since 1984 and has been involved with aviation practically his whole life. At 15 years old, Bradman flew his first flight, so he said he can relate to young students’ excitement when taking to the air.
“It’s super rewarding to see our students start from scratch and end up in an aviation career,” Bradman said. “My favorite part of what I do is giving back knowledge. The texts and photos I get from the kids make it very rewarding.”’
The flight school offers instruction all the way from zero-hour training to certification as a commercial pilot or certified flight instructor. Students go through levels including FAA written test prep, private pilot, instrument, commercial and certified flight instructor training.
The Marathon-based academy also offers training in Key West. That’s where Grabus, a Key West High School senior, usually flies. Next month, she’ll earn her high school diploma, and she hopes to add a flight instructor certification to her list of life milestones. The daughter of a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pilot who earlier was a U.S. Navy aviator, she said she naturally fell into her father’s footsteps.
“One summer, my dad, who knows Sol very well, was talking about scholarships and the flight school. I was like ‘I would like to do that,’ and I thought I could make my dad proud, too,” Grabus said.
Grabus has her sights set on becoming a commercial airline pilot in her early 20s after earning a degree from Lynn University in Boca Raton. She’s inspiring others to explore a passion for aviation, too. Last year, she and a friend created an Aviation Club at Key West High School to introduce their peers to the field and connect them to the flight school. Community outreach from the academy is helping young flyers “catch the bug” as well.
“We fly over 200 kids here a year for free,” Bradman said. “A lot of young kids started with the Young Eagles program, where 8- to 17-year-olds get to fly free twice a year.”
With many fair-weather days and less air traffic in the Keys, Bradman said the school can give students a solid foundation quickly.
“We give them a good base here and then have them take it to the mainland to get additional experience with communications and traffic,” Bradman said. “We have a lot of success stories with our students. We have a lot of locals now flying for corporate.”
The school takes no deposits, allowing all students to pay and progress at their own pace. The academy also offers scholarship opportunities. Sauders and Grabus were both awarded scholarships from the Buzza Foundation, founded by a local family.
To see the school’s complete offerings, including instruction, plane rentals, historical experiences and more, visit floridakeysflightacademy.com or visit the school, above the EAA Air Museum at the Marathon International Airport.
Photos by Allison Morgan and contributed images.
