High Schooler Earns License to Fly High

Like most 17-year-olds, Calabasas High senior Adam Lev Gabay recently earned his driver's license, but he also has something many teens his age don't have: a license to fly a helicopter.

He's no stranger to the sky, having been up in the air many times throughout his childhood thanks to his dad Lav Gabay, who stores his own personal Robinson R44 at Camarillo Airport.

"When he took me up I realized, 'Wow, this is something cool to actually do for fun.' ... It's like a movie when we go up," Adam said.

After turning 17, thereby becoming eligible for a pilot's license, Adam got the OK from his parents to enroll in a course at Orbic Helicopters in Camarillo. There, he completed 40 mandatory hours of practice flying, including flights with instructors as well as some soloing, to qualify for the license test.

He also had to hit the books and take a written test on everything from navigating a helicopter in mid-air to the interior mechanics.

"It was like studying for an AP [advanced placement] test," Adam said.

He earned his license in August and said that seeing everything from above has given him a new perspective on his surroundings.

"There's so many places, just in L.A., that you can go to that are so amazing to look at from above," Adam said. "You only get so much when you're on the ground, so to see it from the air, see how people live their lives and see how the world works from up there, it's incredible."

Lav Gabay, said he's still a little scared about his son flying, but he also trusts Adam's abilities, noting that the teen worked hard to get his license.

"I have a lot of confidence in him, and I'm sure he'll enjoy it more and more," Gabay said, adding that he still tries to fly with his son whenever he can.

So far, Adam has flown as far as Las Vegas and would like to fly to San Francisco and the Grand Canyon.

Gabay said there aren't too many ground rules for Adam, but that his son's friends have to get permission from their parents if they want to fly with him.

When he's on the ground, Adam plays on Calabasas High's tennis team and says he plans on attending college, though he hasn't picked a major yet.

He said he wasn't sure what role helicopter flying would play in his future, but that one possibility could include search-and-rescue missions.

Adam shared a story about a time his father took to the sky to help find a family friend's daughter that went missing on a lake outing. He said his dad's effort inspired him to consider doing rescue work.

"There's lots of possibilities that are open," Adam said. "The sky is not the limit now."

Calabasas Patch recently went to Camarillo Airport and flew with Adam around Ventura County in his father's helicopter. Check out the accompanying video to watch the flight.