Deer Park Teenager Earns Pilot's License At 17

DEER PARK, NY — One Deer Park teenager is taking his senior year to new heights.

Michael Crescenzo, a student at Deer Park High School, recently earned his private pilot certificate at only 17 years old — the youngest age allowed to be issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.

"It feels very rewarding that I'm finally able to share this experience with my friends and my family, that I'm able to take them up flying if they ever want to do so," he said.

In a conversation with Patch, Michael, who turns 18 on Thursday, said he knew he wanted to become a pilot from a young age. When he was five years old, his family took a plane trip to Florida.

"Ever since we first took off, I knew it was what I wanted to do," he said. "I really was able to set my goals early."

Michael continued to spend his childhood reading books and watching online videos about the aviation industry.

"Ever since then, I've just been working toward it," he said. "Getting started early really helped me."

When Michael played saxophone at Deer Park High School, his paths crossed with another aviation enthusiast and licensed pilot — his band director, Jerry Cannarozzo.

"When Michael was my student, he expressed an interest in aviation," said Cannarozzo. "With his parents' permission I took Michael flying in my plane and I knew immediately that Michael loved flying as much as I did."

Cannarozzo then set Michael up with a membership at a flying club at MacArthur Airport, where he is also a member, and with a certified flight instructor.

Michael told Patch it took one year to complete his training, which required two to three flying hours and 10 to 15 hours of studying per week.

The most difficult part of his training, he said, was to maintain a balance between flying, studying for his pilot's license, as well as studying for school, the SATs, and working part-time jobs.

"I had so much on my plate, sometimes I would have to take a little bit of time off to study in school or have to take into take on a few more hours at work," said Michael. "But it all adds to the experience."

His favorite part about flying is the feeling of freedom, he said.

"You're able to basically to say, 'Hey, I want to go up to Massachusetts for lunch,'" Michael said. "Then within an hour, you can be in a plane flying up there."

The final step of earning his pilot's license, Michael said, was his FAA check ride.

On April 11, he took an oral exam on the ground, then flew with an examiner for an hour and a half.

Once he passed, he took no time waiting to celebrate.

"My band teacher (Cannarozzo) as well my parents, we flew upstate, and we had a nice dinner. And then we came down along the Hudson River," Michael said. "It was their first time up with me flying so they were definitely very excited."

Michael will be graduating from Deer Park High School this spring. He will then attend Minnesota State University in the fall, where he will major in aviation and continue his flight training. He plans to pursue a career as an airline pilot for a major U.S. airline.

No matter what age you are, he said, you can always achieve your dream.

"I love sharing the story with people and sharing the experience," he said.