Senior Hayden Beyer prepares for a solo flight by double cheaking everything in the cockpit.

Several students are reaching new heights by taking advantage of one teacher’s aeronautical background.

Joseph Perrotta, an 11th grade physics teacher, uses his aeronautical science degree to its fullest by teaching physics and general aviation. Perrotta teaches through Fly Away Aviation, based out of Falcon Field airport in Peachtree City.

After graduating high school in New York  in 2002, Perrotta decided to continue his education at Embry Riddle University in Daytona. He had no prior flight experience, just the memories of his father working as a mechanic for the navy .

After graduating in 2005 with a bachelors in aeronautical science, Perrotta instructed high school students in New York and later, college students at Embry Riddle.

While instructing, Perrotta was hired by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, but after three years, Perrotta realized his job was lacking luster.

“Working there was not as fulfilling as I had hoped,” Perrotta said.  “But my wife always had interesting stories when she would come home from teaching her elementary class”.

Soon after deciding that ASA wasn’t for him, Perrotta decided he too wanted to teach and was hired at the Mill in 2010.

In the fall of 2011, Perrotta started instructing his first Mill student, senior Laurel Jenkins.

“Laurel soloed over the summer and is about to start cross country flights,” Perrotta said. Cross country flights are not literally across the contiguous 48 states, but students have to fly a minimum of 50 nautical miles, which is 57.54 miles, he said.

Jenkins has also passed the written exam required to obtain a private pilot’s license.

Seniors Carl Berggren and Hayden Beyer also take lessons. They both have flown to Milledgeville and Anniston, Ala.,  where they had to spend two hours navigating to their destination and communicating with air-traffic control by themselves.

Berggren experienced something a little more interesting on one of his flights.

“Before I took off, I noticed some weird weather west of the airport,” Berggren said.  “It looked like I could have made it without problems. As a student, I figured it would be best to turn around.”

Senior Derek Sack and sophomore Kurt Wenske are also Perrotta’s students.  Sack began midway through last summer and is close to soloing. Wenske just started flying with Fly Away Aviation.

“I have to start taking ground lessons,” Wenske said. “They are focused on math, physics and weather. These are more important than actual flying.”