Ponte Vedra High School senior Iris Liotta has logged more than 200 flying hours and is preparing for the exam that would make her a licensed private pilot before she graduates.

Liotta completed her first solo flight in a Cirrus SR20 in April 2022, flying one lap before landing at St. Augustine Airport, where Modern Aero Aviation operates its flight school. The PVHS Tiburon, the school's student newspaper, reported Thursday, Sept. 10, that the experience became a turning point in her aviation ambitions. Reporter Ema Rapaic wrote that Liotta felt a sense of liberation during the brief solo and that the flight built the foundation for her career goals.

Liotta Is Applying to Three Aviation Programs

Liotta now aims to become a commercial pilot. She is applying to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Purdue University and Auburn University for their aviation programs for fall 2027 enrollment.

Six Hours a Day Go Toward Exam Prep

She spends six hours a day studying for her private pilot practical exam, known as a checkride, according to the Tiburon. Her preparation includes the Private Pilot Oral Exam Guide, a study tool exceeding 400 pages that covers pilot qualifications, weather and scenario-based training.

Student pilots must demonstrate knowledge of aerodynamics and engineering concepts including density altitude, lift and drag, and the relationship between pitch and airspeed, the Tiburon reported.

License Can Cost More Than $27,700

The cost of earning a private pilot license at Modern Aero can exceed $27,700, according to Modern Aero's published rates. That figure covers instructor time, equipment and aircraft rental. Liotta's family owns a Cirrus SR20 and holds fractional ownership of a Cirrus Vision Jet SF50, which reduces some of those expenses, the Tiburon reported.

The Cirrus SR20 was the first production general aviation aircraft equipped with a whole-airframe parachute system designed to lower the plane safely to the ground in an emergency. The Vision Jet SF50 is a single-engine very light jet that has been the world's best-selling business jet every year since 2018, according to Cirrus Aircraft.

Modern Aero Holds Top Cirrus Instructor Status

Modern Aero, located at St. Augustine's Northeast Florida Regional Airport, trains pilots on Cirrus aircraft and holds Cirrus Platinum instructor status, according to the company's website. It is the only flight training facility in the Southeast with an insurance-approved type rating program for the Vision Jet SF50.

No date for Liotta's checkride has been announced. She is one of three named university aviation programs away from beginning the path toward a commercial pilot career.