ROSEBURG —

Summer arrived June 21 with blue skies and little wind, a perfect day for friends and family to watch a 16-year-old and third-generation pilot make his first solo flight in the family’s 1955 Cessna 170.

Roseburg High School sophomore Davis Weiss spent his 16th birthday taking off and landing three times at the Roseburg Regional Airport, in what is now a family tradition.

Davis’ father, Tom Weiss, made his first solo flight on his 16th birthday in 1982 in the same airplane. Davis decided two years ago, while at the air show in Oshkosh, Wis., that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

“It’s one of the more fun things that I’ve done, and it runs in the family,” Davis said.

Leading up to the show, friends and family signed a T-shirt and guest book, and Davis’ maternal grandfather, Steve Jones, 70, prayed for a safe flight.

As Davis climbed into the cockpit and readied himself for the flight, about 60 friends and family took photos and videos.

“I wasn’t nervous until I hit the power, then my legs started shaking,” he said.

While Davis taxied the plane to the runway, the crowd trekked to the strip.

Nervous onlookers directed their attention down the runway. Small children ran around pretending to be airplanes and Davis’ grandmother, Sandy Jones, 64, shed tears.

The suspense lifted after a successful takeoff. Davis circled the skies, landed and continued on to flight number two and then three, completing three touch-and-go landings.

‘An aviation family’

“It’s just part of the deal when you marry into an aviation family. Tom was confident he would do great, and I trusted him,” said Davis’ mother, Jennifer Weiss.

Following the flight, Davis taxied to the hanger, where the crowd watched as Tom cut off a portion of the back of his son’s T-shirt, a symbolic gesture. In the early days of flight, the instructor tugged on the back of the student’s shirt if he was doing something wrong. Cutting the shirt represents the student’s newly obtained independence.

“It’s exciting. We were all nervous. It’s good to see him carrying on the family tradition,” said sister Julia Weiss, 13.

Davis said he had been flying for six months prior to his solo flight and spent three to four days every week practicing with his father. The two typically practiced for one to three hours. Davis flew the plane, but his father was with him to help. Within the last two weeks, Tom sat back and let his son take the reins.

The red-and-white Cessna has been in the Weiss family since the 1960s. Greg Weiss bought the plane when his son, Tom, was 2 or 3 years old.

“I grew up with aviation in the family. It was like having another family car,” Tom said.

Absent generation

Greg Weiss died of a heart attack five years ago this week at the age of 60.

“I know Tom wishes his father could be here,” Jennifer said.

Tom made his first solo flight on his 16th birthday because it was the first legal day that he could, he said.

“Aviation as a whole has declined. It started diving in the early (1980s). It’s not as accessible because the cost of fuel, maintenance and lawmaker restrictions,” Tom said. “I hope the next generation can look back at our history … and make changes for the future.”

In his son, Tom found a willing student to join the next generation of pilots.

Tom said his son gave up baseball, something that he had played since he was 4 years old, to focus on learning to fly.

Davis said he plans to get his private pilot license when he turns 17 years old, and he wants to make flying a career, though he is unsure of exactly how right now.

“The jobs will reveal themselves to me,” he said.

He said he does know for certain that he wants to keep the plane in tiptop shape and for the solo flights to remain a family tradition.

Later in the afternoon on his birthday, Davis planned to take the driving portion of his driver’s license test.

“It’s kind of scary knowing he can go off and fly whenever,” said a friend, Emily Swanson, 16, of Roseburg. “It would be kind of funny and ironic if he didn’t get his driver’s license today.”