Daniel Katz: up in the air

Chelsea BrandweinStaff WriterThe Atlantic City Air Show promised to be a good time, but junior Daniel Katz got more than he bargained for: a life-long obsession.Daniel Katz was infatuated with aviation from an early age. He always looked forward to watching the planes take off from the observation deck at Santa Monica Airport and visiting the Museum of Flying with his parents. While these experiences planted the seed in his mind of becoming a pilot later in life, Katz’s love didn’t really reach the skies until the summer of 2006.“I was staying with some relatives in New Jersey, and I was unaware that every year the Atlantic City Air Show was held at the same time I was staying there,” Katz said. “I was awakened one morning by an F-18 fighter jet, and the noise of it was so loud and unlike anything I’d ever heard. I wanted to find out what was capable of making such noises and I rushed out of the house. I looked up at the sky, and I saw a few small, incredibly fast moving jets. I was told later that day that what I was experiencing were merely the practice runs, and that the actual air show would take place two days later.”At the air show, Katz witnessed “military and civil pilots performing aerobatics in a variety of planes and helicopters.”“I was extremely impressed with the speed and precision at which these pilots maneuvered their planes,” Katz said. “I continued to talk and think about the air show several days after, and it became apparent to myself and others around me that this was something that would be on my mind for a long time.”Katz had originally asked his parents if he could pilot when he was thirteen; they responded that he was too young. Then, in March of last year, Daniel Katz took his introductory flight.“I almost couldn’t believe it when my parents told me that they would allow me to fly because it seemed like they would be telling me that it was ‘too dangerous’ forever,” Katz said.Presently, Katz attends American Flyers, a flight school located at the Santa Monica Airport. He has studied with about 20 Certified Flight Instructors (CFIs), and has earned his student certificate that allows him to pilot with a CFI. He is currently training for his private pilot’s certificate (pilot’s license). To qualify for the pilot’s certificate, Katz must complete five hours of solo flight and be 17 years of age. He is not yet 17, and thus attends American Flyers once to twice a week to accumulate the hours of solo flight needed to meet the requirements.“Daniel is a great guy. It’s funny because he flies planes and does well in school, but he can’t even boil water,” junior Won Jae Yang said.When Daniel Katz isn’t among the clouds, he is likely practicing oboe or English horn or swinging a mean racket on the tennis court. Daniel also juggles multiple APs.“Daniel always does superb work, but he never brings attention to himself. He doesn’t flaunt his accomplishments, but he is very often at the top of the class. You can see people seek him out because they respect his talents,” calculus teacher Steve Rupprecht said.Additionally, Katz is a budding photographer who has found a way to tie his interest in photography to his passion for aviation.“I don’t think I’ve ever attended an air show and didn’t have my camera handy. I think that aviation and air shows in particular led me to discover photography,” he said.Katz’s love for the sky also includes the stars and planets.“I love astronomy. I own a telescope, and I’m constantly looking at the stars and planets in the night sky. The great thing about star-gazing is that there is always something new to discover. No matter how much you look at the stars, it seems like you can always keep looking,” Katz said.When Katz is up in the air, he especially enjoys looking at the palm trees below.“When I fly along the coast I can see the lines and lines of palm trees that look like toothpicks sticking out of the ground,” Katz said. “There is a sense of detachment from the world. It is sort of like a safe haven.”cbrandwein@thesamohi.com