Born To Fly

For as long as he can remember, 18-year-old Alex Keyes, a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School, has been looking upward, absolutely wonderstruck by the rumbling jet engines high above his West University home. As a child, when he wasn’t bargaining with his parents to take him to an air show, airport, or flight museum he was at home playing out war scenes with his bucket of toy soldiers.

“That was my jam; those little green and tan soldiers with their bazookas. I would just do that forever; you couldn’t even walk up the stairs,” said Alex. “I was kind of a war geek, and still am.”

Five years ago, at the age of 13, Alex and his twin brother, Gavin, found themselves, like most other students, at home during the pandemic doing school online. Alex admits his classes couldn’t hold his attention, but the subject of aviation was an entirely different matter. 

Alex Keyes (Photo: Eric Forsythe)

“I remember I watched a YouTube video and this guy was doing some really cool flights at his house; that’s how I started learning how to fly,” recalled Alex. “Literally, that was my whole YouTube feed, and that's all I would do all day.” 

This newfound fascination with flight partnered perfectly with Alex’s talent for building things and, in a matter of months, he constructed his very own flight simulator. 

“I have a lot of flight equipment, like all the throttles clamped to my desk. I was making panels to fly with,” said Alex. “I basically had this jank physical cockpit taking up half our dang living room, with three monitors, and I was flying that all the time. I would have dinner, and then come back and keep flying until I had to go to bed.”

The day Michele Tropee’s teenage son took her for a ride – as a licensed pilot. It was a proud moment for Mom and an unforgettable first flight together.

Alex’s mother, Michele Tropee, who works as a French interpreter and translator, remembers a distinct smell from those days, an acrid tang of fumes lingering in her home from the soldering tools Alex was using. 

“We were doing a lot of back and forth, going to the store to get the supplies he needed. And he would get very frustrated when he was soldering; those tiny little things were too big and the connection wasn’t correct,” said Michele. “It was actually very tedious work, but when he sets his mind to doing something he just goes all the way!” 

Eventually Alex moved his flight equipment to his dad’s house, which is also in West University. Turns out, the affinity for aviation is a genuinely intergenerational passion. Alex’s dad, Jack, loves aircraft and Alex’s grandfather, Tom Keyes, was operations manager of an Irish airport in the 1970s. 

Alex’s commitment soared to new heights when he heard about a volunteer experience with the Commemorative Air Force at the West Houston Airport. The CAF honors the men and women who built, maintained, and flew combat aircraft during World War II. 

Alex Keyes stands by a Super Decathlon, one of the planes he trained in to earn his pilot’s license at the age of 17. The cockpit is just the beginning for Alex Keyes; he is already chasing the sky’s wild side and wants to do aerobatic training next.

“One day he comes home and says, ‘This Saturday I'm going to the CAF,’ I was like what is that? And where is that? Are you kidding? This is halfway to San Antonio,” exclaimed his mom, Michele. “But he started going every Saturday and he just loved being around airplanes and people who love airplanes.”

Alex still remembers his first time in Hangar B-5, the one that belongs to the Houston Wing of the CAF located at the West Houston Airport. The moment he stepped inside was like stepping into history – an experience he describes as majestic. The scent of old oil, leather, and metal hung in the air. Towering above him were legendary combat machines: the AT-6 advanced trainer, the consolidated Vultee BT-13, and a N3N primary trainer. Each plane seemed to whisper to Alex stories of courage and flight.

It wasn’t long that his passion for aviation caught the attention of CAF Colonel Ed Vesely, a recent recipient of the Federal Aviation Administration’s prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award honoring his 52 years of flying experience.

Ed and Alex in front of the Super Decathlon when Alex finished his training and became a pilot.

“My wife, Carol, who was also a pilot and member of the CAF, comes over that day about three plus years ago, and says, ‘Hey, you’ve got to go and talk to that kid over there,’” said Ed. “He had the braces and acne, just like a typical teenage boy in that awkward stage. But it was very evident at that first discussion; I thought, wow, there's something special about this kid.” 

It was pure serendipity that Ed lives just four blocks away from Alex in West U. Their friendship firmly forged, Ed took over the driving duties and eventually instructor duties, picking up Alex most Saturdays to volunteer as a cadet for the CAF. 

Ed and Alex in Hangar B-5, home of the Houston Wing of the CAF located at the West Houston Airport. (Photo: Eric Forsythe)

Alex was 15 when he aced the first written exam toward getting his pilot’s license. Then at 17, he completed his first solo flight, a remarkable feat given he hadn’t yet received his license to drive a car. 

“I had to get driven out there to do that,” said Alex. “I got dropped off by Ed, so I could fly by myself, but I couldn’t drive myself home.”  

CAF Colonel Ed Vesely passes along his wisdom and love for World War II aircraft. (Photo: Eric Forsythe)

Ed, who works by day as the senior director of sales for Welsch Aviation in Houston, said Alex reminds him of himself. 

“Not only did Alex have the same interest that I did. He wanted to learn in an airplane that was like the airplane that I got my private pilot’s license, which is what we call a tail dragger,” explained Ed. “So, I asked a friend who has a flight school, if I come out of CFI retirement, (certified flight instruction), would you allow me to teach one student? And she said, yeah, so that was Alex.” 

“He became the leader of the cadets. He had to manage young people just like him. So he showed leadership skills,” said Ed with an indisputable measure of pride.

Check pilot Debby Rihn, a World Aerobatic champion, signing Alex’s new pilot’s license this past summer.

The CAF cadet program awarded Alex a $12,600 scholarship, which is the going rate to complete the 60 hours of flight training required by the FAA to get your pilot’s license. On August 3, at the age of 17, Alex earned his pilot’s license. 

“I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else to do my training,” said Alex about Ed. “He’s training warbird pilots, like guys who fly at air shows, so everyone he deals with are super high-level pilots. He’s a mentor, he's a high-up guy in the aviation world. I felt like I had to impress him a little bit, so it was stressful at times, but I mean who else would you want to do your training.”

It was Ed who put Michele’s nerves at ease the first time she went flying with her son – the pilot. 

The CAF Houston Wing preserves military aviation history through operating and maintaining vintage aircraft like the “Yellow Peril” officially called the N3N Canary, a primary trainer designed by the U.S. Navy. (Photo: Eric Forsythe)

“I had texted Ed telling him I was going flying with Alex, he texted me back, ‘I would let Carol (Ed’s wife) and my sister fly with him, so you are in good hands.’ So if his instructor says that then I have nothing to worry about,” said Michele. “It was really, really nice.” 

Alex is applying to Purdue University’s acclaimed aviation program. He also plans to pursue aerobatic training, a fitting next step for someone devoted to honoring the warbirds he so deeply reveres. His journey is just beginning – powered by passion, purpose, and a sky that’s wide open.