Gabriel Carothers, 17, is now the youngest pilot in New Mexico

17-year-old Gabriel Carothers wrote his name in the history books after he became the youngest pilot in New Mexico. According to KOAT, the young aviator achieved the feat after he finished his private pilot check ride a few days after he celebrated his 17th birthday.

Carothers said he gained interest in flying at an early age. “My father had a family friend who had an airplane that used to fly us,” the teen said. “So, he thought it’d definitely be interesting to take me and my brother up for a flight when we were 5 and 6 years old.”

Carothers was also just 14 when he designed and set up his flight simulator. “I had to do research on what went into a computer and then what parts and components were needed to make sure it worked,” the teen said. “Learning all the intricate pieces of it, the programming of it in the simulator itself was another thing.”

About achieving the feat as the state’s youngest pilot, Carothers said he wasn’t “really thinking about making history.” “I was just thinking about flying and doing what I like to do every day,” he explained.

Carothers also said he has now set his sights on learning how to fly vintage aircraft and also taking part in airshows. He also said he wants to enroll at the Air Force Academy. 

“Leaving a trail behind and leaving a path for other kids to follow really lightens up my heart, and to make sure that they have a future no matter what they do,” the teen said.