Brooke, who was born and bred locally but now lives over 500km away, spent time with her grandparents Robert and Doreen Smith and Pauline Frauenfelder in Yarrawonga over the school holidays where she received some flying lessons from local business Jarden Aviation and tried her first solo venture.
Mr Smith, who owns two hangers at the Yarrawonga Aerodrome and is a pilot himself said it was amazing to see Brooke up in the skies by herself at her age and while back home in Yarrawonga.
“Brooke came to stay with us over the school holidays and had some lessons at Jarden Aviation with an instructor that helped her immensely,” Mr Smith said.
“She has had a love of planes and flying since the age of 10 after she came flying with me in a plane and the love has grown from there.
“While staying with us she had 12 hours of lessons and then a week after the lessons she went solo.
“It’s a great achievement for her to undertake a solo flight at just the age of 16 and without coming from a heavy flying or aviation background with just myself the only family member in the aviation industry.
“It was also fantastic to see as the numbers are increasing but there are not too many female pilots so to see her as a young woman fly a plane solo was great for all.
“She is not looking at becoming a pilot or entering a career in aviation but it is one of her loves that she may pursue on the side further in life.
“She will have to wait a little while longer for her license but at the moment she is just basking in her first solo flight and let’s hope it is the first of many.”