Young pilot to screen his aviation film on April 23

Daniel Shulte was only 12 when he felt his first rush of being in the air.

He had always been drawn to airplanes but this was his first flying lesson, a present from his parents for his birthday. He was so small he could barely see over the control panel, but the instructor still let him take the controls. That moment, feeling the airplane react to his command, was an experience he’d never forget.

“I fell in love, and knew that I wanted to fly,” Shulte, now 21, said. “I couldn’t be more grateful to have had that opportunity. My parents bought me a one-way ticket to a future in aviation.”

This turned out to be true, as Shulte has been involved in flying ever since, leading him to combine his two passions – aviation and photography – by making a 40-minute film called “For the Love of Aviation.”

The film will premiere at the Sebastiani Theater with a free screening at 1 p.m. on April 23.

Shulte made the film to promote his love for aviation. It includes stunning aerial shots from all over California, and multiple interviews with pilots. Shulte said he was able to work with a solid film crew who helped him shoot while he flew, and vice versa.

One of those included in the film is Delta pilot Robin Tatman, who is president of the Young Eagles and an advisor to the Air Explorers clubs – youth groups who learn aviation through Sonoma Skypark.

“He made (the film) to combat the idea that it’s very expensive to be able to fly and it’s out of people’s means – but it isn’t,” Tatman said. “There is a shortage (of pilots), and we need to get people interested.”

Tatman remembers a 13-year-old Shulte coming to the Skypark for his free ride, and seeing his passion from the start.

“We offer free rides to kids every month. We also give out scholarships for an airplane camp and anyone that pretty much applies is guaranteed a scholarship,” Tatman said.

Tatman is adamant about making aviation an affordable hobby. She works to raise money for youth like Daniel who want to make this their career.

Sonoma’s Air Explorers, which started as a Boy Scouts program, is a club where members learn about aviation and connect with youth with similar interests.

“Free flights? You can count me in. It was too much fun to let pass,” Shulte said. “I stayed a member of the Air Explorers from my first solo in an airplane all the way through taking my checkride and receiving my private pilot certificate.”

Shulte got his pilot’s license at the earliest legal age, 16, before even getting his driver’s license. He did most of his flying at Sonoma SkyPark, but took official lessons at the Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa. He does not have his own plane and usually pays around $150 and hour to rent a plane.

When he was in high school, he was inspired by a documentary film directed by Brian Terwilliger called “One-Six Right.”

“I wanted cinematic quality and an appeal to all people, whether they were involved in aviation or not. I wanted to share aviation with everyone,” Shulte said. “I set up a Kickstarter page for the new movie as a senior in high school. I filmed a little promotion video with my friend, launched the site and hoped for the best.”

He spread his idea with everyone he knew and all across Facebook. His Kickstarter was slow in the beginning, but he surpassed his goal, ending with $13,000.

The aviation community was eager to see another film about their passion. He received messages from pilots all over the world – from Malawi to Egypt to England.

“It left me inspired and humbled, and I knew I had to deliver my promises,” Shulte said.

Shulte’s promise was harder to deliver than expected. It took almost two years to complete the film, with unexpected challenges all along the way.

“He interviewed a lot of people and it turned out really well; the filming is beautiful,” Tatman said. “He worked hard and he had a lot of obstacles, like ordering new equipment and having it all arrive broken. He had a lot of challenges, basically had to start over at one point. Took him a lot longer to complete it but the result is really well worth it.”

Since finishing the film, Shulte has been living in Guerneville and working for KaiserAir at the Santa Rosa Jet Center. He graduated from Montgomery High School in 2014 and spent a year at the University of Reno before deciding to come home and focus on the film. He is doing further flight training full time right now with the hopes of getting a job flying.

“I’m excited to see the turnout for the theater showing,” Shulte said. “I hope to possibly release this film for purchase with an online retailer at some point in the future, but I am unsure of how long that will take, or if it will happen. There is a possibility that I could make a sequel in the future when I have my career set up and get back into filming. Who knows?”