Riordan ’25 earns pilot license as a senior at Culver Military Academy

Kellye Riordan ’25 (Coto De Caza, California), who plans to attend the U.S. Military Academy this fall, has earned his pilot’s license.

Riordan was inspired to get the license because his grandfather was a Navy flight surgeon.

“That was really interesting to me. He really loved aviation. He had flown in a bunch of fighter jets, so it was fun for me to learn from him about it,” Riordan said.

He said his grandfather’s friends had a private plane and brought him up in it and that fueled his desire to earn his pilot’s license.

“I told my parents that was something I wanted to do and they were happy to help me get flight lessons,” Riordan said.

Riordan started working toward his pilot’s license during the summer after his freshman year at Culver, taking flight lessons near his home in southern California at Fullerton Municipal Airport, about 20 miles southeast of Los Angeles. He finished earning his pilot’s license in December flying out of Plymouth Municipal Airport, about 15 miles north of Culver.

He said the most difficult part of earning a pilot’s license was all the ground knowledge, such as basic aerodynamics, weather theory and learning about how engine pistons work and the oil and fuel systems.

“I feel like I’m partly a mechanic and a meteorologist after all this studying,” Riordan joked.

Riordan is on Culver’s prep lacrosse team and is the Honor Guard commander and an Honor Council member.

Riordan said he isn’t sure whether he plans on trying to become an Army pilot, saying his primary interests now are law and military intelligence. He’s not sure what course of study he will pursue at West Point. But he thinks aviation will always at least be a hobby.

“It’s always beautiful flying 5,000 feet above the ground and seeing everything from a different vantage point and take a deep breath and calm down and not to think about anything else,” Riordan said.