OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — An Overland Park teen is well on his way to becoming a pilot.
Jad Darwish, 13, has spent hours over the last few years piloting simulated flights all over the world.
It's more than just a game or a hobby for him. Already obsessed with the magic and science of flight, Jad, who will be heading to eighth grade next year, is encouraged by his family to pursue his passion.
Jad was on the first flight out of the new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport and spends hours of his free time there plane-spotting.
But, most importantly, from the desk in his bedroom, he's flown hundreds of simulated flights, including every flight possible into and out of KCI.
"I feel like I'm starting up early,” Jad said. “It feels like I'm actually building up to what I want to do."
In fact, he believes he has more simulated flights to and from KCI than anyone in the world.
"Every single thing works here,” Jad said, referencing the details of the simulated cockpit.
He knows every button and dial in the cockpit, which simulates a 737 aircraft. Jad learned how to make a flight plan and even talks with another person live, who's online as the air traffic controller for the simulation software.
“Whenever I land, the second you land, air traffic control talks to you,” Jad said. “So, I have to dial in the frequency while talking to them, while exiting the runway at a good time."
These simulations are real-time, meaning, if it's a five-hour flight, he's "flying" for five hours. Jad does his best to make every aspect as real as possible, even turning off all the lights in his room for a night flight.
However, life in the real world goes on.
"Multiple times, [it's happened] that I'm mid-clearance, and my mom opens the door and just starts talking and I can't hear anything,” Jad said. “I don't know if she's knocking on the door because my headphones are on."
Often, Jad's flights interrupt the family schedule.
"We have some kind of commitment, and either we delay our commitment or we change the time just because he has a flight he has to land at a certain time," said Tarek Darwish, Jad’s father.
But Tarek Darwish and his wife see value in their son's time in the simulated sky.
"That's his passion, and if he enjoys it, I'm fine with it,” Tarek Darwish said. “I think it will be rewarding for him, and I really, really, like what he's doing as well."
The Darwish family stresses they have strict rules about how he communicates with people online and requirements for keeping up with his school work.
In addition to being a pilot, Jad is training as an air-traffic controller, already doing so in the simulation software for St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and he's part of the team working on the simulated version of KCI's new terminal.
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