While many AHS underclassmen are hitting the road with newly minted driver’s licenses, a group of intrepid students has set their sights on learning how to pilot a plane. The AHS Aero Aviator Program, started by Greg Roark in 2011, continues to help students fulfill their dreams of becoming licensed pilots. This year, long-time Roaring Fork Valley resident Luke Murphy will take over the reins of the AHS Aviation program from founder Greg Roark, who stepped down from his post over the summer.

Murphy, who once attended Aspen Elementary School and Aspen Community School, was introduced to flying at a young age and has not stopped pursuing his passion since.

“When I was a kid my dad had a single-engine airplane that he used for business. That’s what really got me flying. He would prop me up on a pillow before I could really see over the panel and he would let me fly,” Murphy said. “For the last 25 years, flying has just been a very expensive hobby for me. I would rent a plane in Glenwood, and I’d go sightseeing or go on a trip somewhere.”

While Murphy was born in Chicago, he has spent the majority of his life living throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

“I moved to Aspen when I was just three years old, and I’ve always felt like I really grew up here. My family lived right up against smuggler mountain. I went to the Elementary School and Aspen Community School. I then went to Utah for my freshman year of high school, and then attended Colorado Rocky Mountain School for every other year. After that, I went to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. I’ve been living in Glenwood for the last few years, and I have never really left the valley.”

Murphy worked at Bristlecone Mountain Sports in Basalt for 15 years before quitting his job after receiving a phone call that Greg Roark was stepping down from his position.

“I had just gotten my commercial license a year and a half ago when I got a phone call from Mike Pierce, who is one of the board members of the nonprofit that owns the two airplanes we use through the Aviation Program,” Murphy said. “He told me that Roark found another job. From there, I finished up my flight instructor certificate and started at AHS teaching ground school.”

While Murphy’s working background is not focused on teaching, he is clearly looking forward to the challenge. He is confident that he can help create a strong curriculum and fashion a future set of pilots out of today’s AHS students.

“It has been a little overwhelming learning how to operate as a teacher in the public school–learning all the policies and procedures. But, more than anything, I’m really looking forward to teaching these students and sharing my love for aviation. I can already tell this is a very dedicated and motivated group of young students. I’m super excited for what the future holds,” Murphy said.