2025 was another outstanding year of flying, learning, achievement, and community at Harris Hill! Here is a summary of our members’ accomplishments this year.
| Category | Members |
|---|---|
| Solo | Ryan Boren Nixon Byzitter Caelan Mathis |
| Private | Katie Woodard Scott Ashcraft |
| Commercial | Nathan Sallade Sandra Ryder |
| CFI-G | Scott Schiffres Chris Butler Ken Faris |
| Solo – Airplane | Sandra Ryder Nate Woodard |
| Private – Airplane | Ryan Washburn |
| Instrument – Airplane | Ethan Hand Olivia Tate |
| Commercial – Airplane | Geoff Knauth Eric Shelhamer |
| 1-26 Checkout | Scott Ashcraft Nixon Byzitter Shane Harlacker Ryder Dacheaux Katie Woodard Geoff Knauth |
| 1-34 Checkout | Scott Ashcraft Scott Dahl Spencer Berry Shane Harlacker Ryder Dacheaux Geoff Knauth |
| 1-35 Checkout | Cory Bulger Geoff Knauth |
| ASK-21 Checkout | Spencer Berry |
| SGS 2-32 Checkout | Daniel O’ Brien (at Jersey Ridge Soaring) |
| Grob 103 Checkout | Daniel O’ Brien (at Jersey Ridge Soaring) |
| SGS 1-23 Checkout | Jeff Buchman |
| Tow Pilot Checkout | Cory Bulger Eric Shelhamer |
| Pawnee Checkout | Eric Shelhamer Daniel O’ Brien (at Jersey Ridge Soaring) |
| Contests | David McMaster – 2nd Club Class Nationals, Elmira Andy Brayer – 2nd Sports Class, Region 2 Mifflin Tim Welles – 2nd 18m Class, Region 2 Mifflin Sean Murphy – 2nd Sports Class, Region 5N Perry |
| Professional Accomplishments | David McMaster – Employment at United Airlines Jacob Barnes Jr – Lear 45 Type Rating and Employment Daniel O’Brien – Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders, Diocese of Scranton |
| Badges, Records and Other | Diamond Goal – Bryan Riegal Gold Altitude – Bryan Riegal Gold Badge – Bryan Riegal 5-hour – Nixon Byzitter, Shane Harlacker, Akshay Sood Silver Distance – Mike Goldstein, Eric Shelhamer, Akshay Sood Silver Altitude – Mike Goldstein, Eric Shelhamer, Akshay Sood Silver Badge – Mike Goldstein, Eric Shelhamer, Akshay Sood Bronze Badge – Jeff Buchman Tailwheel Endorsement – Charles Wolfe, Eric Shelhamer Aircraft Purchase – Charles Wolfe Glider Purchase – Geoff Knauth NYS Sports Class 300 km Speed Triangle – David McMaster NYS Sports Class 100 km Speed Triangle – David McMaster |
Here are some of our members’ accomplishments in photos:
Nixon Byzitter, Solo, with endorsing CFI Eric Shelhamer
Ryan Boren, Solo, with endorsing CFI Heinz Weissenbuehler Jr.
Katie Woodard, Private, with DPE Jim Martin and endorsing CFI Eric Shelhamer
Scott Ashcraft, Private, with endorsing CFI Patrick Parks and DPE Franklin Burbank
Sandra Ryder, Commercial, with DPE Franklin Burbank and endorsing CFI Sean Murphy
Nathan Sallade, Commercial, with endorsing CFI Tim Welles and DPE Jim Martin
Scott Schiffres, CFI-G, with DPE Jim Martin
Chris Butler, CFI-G, with DPE Jim Martin
Ken Faris, CFI-G, with DPE Jim Martin
Sandra Ryder, Solo – Airplane
Nate Woodard, Solo – Airplane
Ryan Washburn, Private – Airplane
Olivia Tate, Instrument – Airplane
Geoff Knauth, Commercial – Airplane, with DPE Bruce Thompson
Eric Shelhamer, Commercial – Airplane
Scott Ashcraft, 1-26 Checkout
Scott Dahl, 1-34 Checkout
Cory Bulger, 1-35 Checkout
Eric Shelhamer, Tow Pilot Checkout
Cory Bulger, Tow Pilot Checkout
Eric Shelhamer, Pawnee Checkout
Bryan Riegal’s Gold Altitude Wave Flight
Akshay Sood, 5-hour, with Tanya Popli
Mike Goldstein, Silver Distance flight
Charles Wolfe, Tailwheel Endorsement
Eric Shelhamer, Tailwheel Endorsement
David McMaster, New Hire Training at United Airlines, with Andy Brayer
Jacob Barnes Jr., Lear 45 Type Rating and Employment
Daniel O’ Brien, Rite of Admission to Candidacy for Holy Orders at the Diocese of Scranton
More photos of our members’ soaring-related activities this year:
2025 was also a year of great loss for us. Jake and Corky, you will be deeply missed.
