by Eric Wegner
Hey, Dave! I read your article on your “First Solo” (https://midwestflyer.com/editorial-first-solo/) and can relate.
I didn’t know you were from Minnesota. I spent 17 great years in Minnesota. We lived on Cannon Lake in Faribault, Minnesota, but worked in an office located by the Mall of America in Bloomington, on the south side of I-494. My office faced west with a view into the Northwest/Delta maintenance hangar. Some days there was more plane watching than what work got done. For a brief time, I was a partner in a Piper Warrior that was hangared down in Faribault, but I gained a lot of flying community friends in Owatonna, Prior Lake, and Lakeville. Building and running my own business, along with raising a family, often put my aviation interests on the back burner.
For my background, I’m originally from Wisconsin and I split my time growing up between my grandparents’ farm in Fond du Lac (as forced labor), and my parents’ house outside of Middleton. Nobody in our family was connected to aviation in any way whatsoever, but I was smitten by it.
When I was 9 years old, I’d sneak out of the house and ride my bike 7 miles to Morey Airport outside of Middleton just to look at airplanes, and if I was lucky, perhaps even get the chance to talk to a real live pilot! (BTW, I had this blue metallic three-speed Schwinn with ape hangers, a banana seat, sissy bar, and a slick rear tire! Gosh, that was one sweet ride, and I was king of the world pedaling it!)
When I got older and announced that I wanted to get my pilot license, my dad who was fearful of all aviation said, “If you want to kill yourself, that’s up to you, but I’m not participating in this in any way,” and he walked out of the room. Ouch! I remember that incident very well, but all it did was embolden me.
It was 1989 and I took flight lessons at Four Lakes Aviation, the FBO on the east side of Dane County Regional Airport (KMSN) in Madison Wisconsin. For training aircraft, they had Piper Tomahawks in their fleet. I loved that plane and I became ‘a low-wing’ guy. Side note: Wisconsin Aviation subsequently purchased Four Lakes and all their business assets. Wisconsin Aviation President Jeff Baum, who has become a good friend of mine, can recite off the top of his head the N-numbers of every Piper Tomahawk Four Lakes had which I trained in some 30-plus years ago. Jeff has an amazing gift for that.
My CFI was Paul Slotten who I remember well, but lost track of over time. I hope he’s well, and I also hope that all flight instructors know what a significant impact they make on one’s life. Paul gave me the gift of flight, and I will forever be indebted to him for that.
Paul sprung my first solo on me, but not after having first called my parents and secretly alerting them that “today would be the day!”
We did some typical pattern-work, then Paul told me to take him back to the FBO because he had to pee, which frankly irked me as I thought he should have handled that task prior to my lesson. But it was a ploy. He jumped out of the plane and told me that I was ready to solo, and to go do three touch-n-goes. I didn’t have time to overthink it. Paul’s valuable instruction and my muscle memory kicked in and off I went. Man, that little Tomahawk instantly turned into a Ferrari! A rocket ship and it was 100% all on me. After my third T&G, I taxied back to the FBO and there by the fence were my parents waving and taking pictures. Dad had tears in his eyes. Thereafter, he would proudly tell everyone he came across, “my son is a pilot!” Unfortunately, dad passed away only 5 years later at age 56 from pancreatic cancer, but I will forever remember how proud he was of my accomplishment that day. He was a good man. Thanks, dad, for showing up. Your support meant the world to me.
Pursuing a dream isn’t often easy. It takes time, dedication, and perseverance. I worked at it over a couple of years to build hours and complete the tasks required to take my checkride.
On May 7, 1992, I flew up to Marshfield, Wisconsin (KMFI) and took that checkride with Harold “Duffy” Gaier and flew home as a newly minted Private Pilot. But it all started with that first solo!
Editor’s Note: Eric Wegner is President of EAA Chapter 320 in Watertown, Wisconsin. Professionally, he is an investment advisor. Share your story about your “First Solo” by emailing midwestflyer.com@gmail.com. This series was started January 1, 2026, you can view more articles like this by clicking here.