INTO PERSPECTIVE
J-1400 PROFILE: TRAVIS RUDD
Travis Rudd completes a pre-flight checklist on Oct. 18, 2023 in Jefferson City, Mo.
Travis Rudd can talk about planes for a very long time if you let him.
It’s a fact even he admits, and he won’t shy away from doing it. The cockpit’s controls, step-by-step maneuvers, or just what the state looks like from above– if you ask, he’ll tell you.
“You get to see the world from a different perspective than how many people you get to see,” Rudd said. “It's a lot of responsibility, but it's also nice to know that you can handle that and keep handling that. And it's fun. You get to experience all kinds of things that you never would on the ground.”
At 21 years old, Rudd is still pretty new to the perspective of viewing the ground from the cockpit, but it’s gradually becoming more familiar to him. Over the past two years, he’s spent over 250 hours flying and another 50 hours in advanced aviation training devices.
So having the ability to talk about aviation for hours may make a little more sense in perspective. That’s agreed upon by other pilots who have flown with Rudd too.
“He's a big aviation nerd and he knows his stuff,” Sam Allen said. “I mean you can just tell he puts on the word for it, which is kind of refreshing… it's very nice when you get with somebody who knows what they're doing, is competent in the plane and knows what they're talking about.”
Rudd’s put in his time. Like all pilots looking to get specific licenses, his past few years have involved a number of exams, certificates and training hours.
“Once you start flying it's kind of hard to stop,” Rudd added. “Aviation is not easy. I won't tell you it's just a breeze. But you have to learn about how to be a safe aviator looking out for yourself and others.”
Towards the end of 2021 though, aviation wasn’t even on the radar. Instead, Rudd was living in his hometown in Wyoming and was working in an autobody paint shop while attending Casper College.
“I guess I never really like looked into aviation as much as I could. I don't know, I didn't know what to do,” Rudd said. “I thought I just, I don't know. I belonged in a trade position if you will or something. But then, I mean, I'd always loved aviation.”
Then in January 2022, Delta officially dropped the four-year college degree requirement to become a pilot. The announcement also marked the last American airline to remove the degree requirement.
“It took me a few months to kick it around,” Rudd said. “‘Will they let me be a pilot?’ Fun fact, they will.”
“You get to experience all kinds of things that you never would on the ground.”
- Travis Rudd
Within a year, Rudd had moved to Colorado to start training in Denver. There he earned his private pilot's license and instrument rating, along with building flight hours for his commercial pilot license.
Then when a flight instructor left Denver, Rudd followed. He ended up in Missouri, studying and training to apply to become a certified flight instructor at the Jefferson City Flying Service Flight School.
When that instructor wasn’t able to make a flight in August, Rudd ended up in the cockpit with a “safety pilot.” The first time that he met Allen.
“I follow with some other people and they don't really know what they're doing very well or they're not nearly as sociable,” Allen said. “He did tell me one time that he's not that sociable of a guy, but literally everybody I've seen him talk to, he's more than happy to talk to.”
A first impression sold Allen on Rudd. Over the next two months, the two took more flights and Allen even rode along for Rudd’s first two right-seat landings. Not bad, but “a little bumpy,” Allen said.
Then something else Rudd could probably talk about for a while, sometimes the two would go fishing.
“I've never actually seen him catch a fish,” Allen added. “He talks about it all the time. We’ve been fishing a few times, never seen him catch one.”
There’s a general understanding in the Jefferson City Fixed Base Operator that there’s an importance of “keeping the cowboy” in aviation. If that’s true, Rudd is upholding it well. Mostly the keep it moving part, even if there aren’t any horses involved.
A few days before his official CFI check ride, Rudd got an email from a company out of St. George, Utah with an aerial imagery and surveying job offer. Like Rudd described, “mowing the sky.” By the end of the week, Rudd passed his exams and practical test, was officially certified as a flight instructor and had rented a U-Haul trailer to head off to Utah.
“I can't say I ever thought I'd be flying in Missouri,” Rudd said. “There's so many things you don't know before training and there's so many things you don't know while you're in training. You’re always learning something new and it's an ever-changing world too.”
True in aviation and in Rudd’s own life.
“Don't hesitate to do it. Definitely don't,” Rudd added. “If aviation is something you feel like you would like to be a part of, be it just for fun, for work, whatever… work towards what you want.”
Above Jefferson City, Mo. during a flight on Oct. 18, 2023.
FIRST PORT OF CALL
For student pilots, the first solo flight marks a big step in aviation. During this flight, they’re responsible for operating the aircraft alone and are expected to control and maneuver it safely.
Travis Rudd looks back at the Jefferson City fixed-base operator (FBO) after preparing for a flight Oct. 18, 2023 in Jefferson City, Mo.
The cockpit controls of Travis Rudd's plane Oct. 18, 2023 in Jefferson City, Mo.
An above look at the Missouri River during a flight on Oct. 18, 2023 over Jefferson City, Mo.