By Deborah Maynard, Lt Col, Tillamook County Civil Air Patrol
Tillamook County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) added a new pilot to their roster on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Alison Harding joined the auspicious ranks of the certificated Private Pilots. Even today, only 9.57% of pilots are female and Ms. Harding’s success added one more to the statistics!
Not yet 21 years of age, Alison, better known as “Bullet,” because she moves “faster than a speeding bullet”, never thought she’d be able to fly. She was under the belief that because she wore glasses, she was prohibited from ever earning a pilot’s license.
So, what’s the next best thing to flying an airplane? Flying a kite! A very big kite-ish thing…
Ali met an ultralight flier in Pacific City who volunteered to take her for a flight in his plane. A Private Pilot as well as an ultralight enthusiast, he told her she really could learn to fly if she wanted to – right here in Tillamook. Wearing glasses did not prohibit her from becoming a pilot, as long as her vision was corrected to acceptable limit. FAA requires corrected vision to be 20/40 for a 3rd Class Medical to be a Private Pilot. Her dream of flying took wings that day! She took wings a few days later with her friend in his Ercoupe. He introduced her to Capt. Mark Farrier, a flight instructor at the Tillamook airport and member of the local Civil Air Patrol squadron. He told her about the local squadron-supported flight training program. In 2023 she joined the Tillamook County Composite Squadron that October and embarked on a journey that would see her complete her training and pass an FAA check ride, with flying colors, two years later.
Earning a Private Pilot Certificate (license) is not an easy task! The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires individuals to take and pass a written exam, then demonstrate flying skills to pass a check ride with a Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE). The educational portion of the program covers everything from aerodynamics of flight to federal airspace regulations. The check ride involves demonstrating flight skills and safety procedures in an aircraft. Alison participated in a CAP sponsored year-long Ground School gaining the knowledge she needed to pass the written exam, and began flying with Capt. Mark Farrier, a Certified Flight Instructor, at the Tillamook Municipal Airport.
As a barista at the “Cold Water and Coffee Shop” in Pacific City, Alison worked to earn flight money and time to fly between wind and rainstorms in our beautiful Pacific Northwest. She faithfully attended South Beach Parrish (a Calvary Chapel) developing a sincere desire to serve God and humanity in countries much less fortunate than her own. This fired up her dream to pursue not only flying, but missionary aviation.
In 2024, Alison received a Bob Rissel Flight Training Scholarship for eligible CAP members provided by the Rissel family and the non-profit, Friends of Pacific City Airport. This local scholarship was developed to help young people dedicated to serving their community through Civil Air Patrol, earn a Private Pilot license. Named after the patriarch of the Rissel family, Bob was a celebrated aviator and Pacific City State Airport supporter who passed away in 2019. The scholarship honors his memory while supporting enthusiastic young people who want to learn to fly.
Fast forward to February 9, 2026, and the scheduled FAA Check Ride with DPE Tyler Sturdevant. It began as a dreary day with forecasted hopes of clearing in the afternoon. DPE Sturdevant met Alison at the Tillamook Municipal Airport building for a 2-hour oral exam discussing everything from regulations, to why an airplane flies, charts, symbols, light signals, engine out procedures, airspace, speeds, and much more. It was a lively discussion during which Alison discovered their mutual support for humanitarian service and missionary flying. As the day drew on, waiting for weather to clear, it was determined that the next day would be a better choice for Alison to finish her check ride.
The following day, DPE Sturdevant flew his own plane back to Tillamook and the Check Ride continued. Utilizing Capt. Farrier’s Citabria 7KCAB, Alison and Mr. Sturdevant spent several hours going over the aircraft and flying. She aptly demonstrated her skills as a pilot and at 4:47 that afternoon, Alison Harding became the newest certified Private Pilot in Tillamook.
Congratulations Bullet!
However, that’s not the end of the story, only the beginning of a new adventure. On February 16th, Alison Harding departed for Cheng Mai, Thailand to begin a 6-to-9-month internship with the Free Burma Rangers (FBR). Their mission is to support, bring help, hope and love to people of all faiths and ethnicities in the conflict areas, to shine a light on the actions of oppressors, to stand with the oppressed and support leaders and organizations committed to liberty, justice and service (https://www.freeburmarangers.org/our-story ). Since 1997, FBR has trained over 250 multi-ethnic relief teams and there are 125 full time teams active in the war-torn areas of Burma. The teams have conducted over 1000 humanitarian missions of 1-2 months into the war zones of Burma. On average around 1000 patients are treated per mission with 2,000 more people helped in some way. The teams have treated over 500,000 patients and helped over 1,100,000 people. Now, one more pilot joins their team.
Alison Harding’s desire to serve God and humanity, as well as soar among the clouds, became a reality due to her own determination, internal fortitude, faith, and dedication… with a little help from her friends – as the song says. She is a shining example of what youth in our community can accomplish with the support of Civil Air Patrol, the Friends of Pacific City Airport, and the Tillamook community as a whole.
To contribute to the Tillamook County Composite Squadron, contact Deborah Maynard, Lt Col at Deborah.maynard@orwgcap.org .
To contribute to the Rissel Family Scholarship for Flight Training, contact Sally Rissel at heronlanding123@gmail.com .