When he’s not flying commercial aircraft, pilot Gordon Boettger might be found in the cockpit of a glider — an aircraft sustained by lift rather than an engine. Boettger, who got his glider license at 14 and considers soaring a passion, discussed aviation careers and his recent record-setting, 1,112-mile glider flight at the April 7 Pathways to Aviation event at the Joe Crowley Student Union.

An event attendee with a virtual reality headset experiences flight from the cockpit of a fighter jet at the Women in Aviation booth.

“Flying expands your horizons, not just geographically, but mentally,” Boettger told the audience of about 400, many of them students. “It's a recipe for a great life.”

Nonprofit group Pathways to Aviation and the George W. Gillemot Foundation sponsored the event, along with the University of Nevada, Reno; Washoe County School District; and the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority.

“Talks like the one tonight remind us of the courage, training and fortitude that it takes to go beyond the horizon,” University President Brian Sandoval said, in his address to the crowd. “In many ways, this mirrors our University’s mission. To realize the dreams and potential of the people of Nevada, we must continue to provide the educational and research programs that provide breakthroughs and greater understanding of the world around us and the skies above us.”

The Gillemot Foundation has been instrumental in supporting the University: a $36 million gift by the foundation made in 2023 supports the College of Engineering’s aerospace program as well as the upcoming renovations to the Fleischmann Planetarium.

Tom Hall, who chairs the Gillemot Foundation board as well as the Pathways to Aviation board, shared that Pathways is offering up to $250,000 in scholarships to candidates in northern Nevada and eastern California.

Want to be a pilot? Start small

On Dec. 15, 2025, Boettger flew from Minden — a community about 50 miles from Reno; an area known for atmospheric conditions favorable for glider soaring — to Dodge City, Kansas. It took 12½ hours and plenty of skill and concentration, but according to Boettger, that’s what makes it fun.

“My passion is soaring: just me, the machine and the atmosphere,” he said. “No autopilot, (just) constant decisions, constant problem solving ... they say if you're not making a decision every minute in a glider, you're not flying the aircraft.”

Gliders typically are launched by a tow plane and stay airborne by “lift,” or flying through air currents such as thermals and mountain waves, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Boettger’s glider is a little more specialized: it has an engine for launch as well as the capability to legally fly at night, features that make his extraordinary flights possible.

It also takes experience, discipline, good judgement and the right weather conditions, according to Boettger, “but when everything comes together, the results can be magical.”

Boettger’s day job is FedEx pilot, and he started his career as a Navy pilot. But his introduction to aviation was through gliders when he was a teenager.

“Every airline pilot you see started somewhere small,” he said, addressing the aspiring aviators in the crowd. “For me, it started with gliders, learning weather, discipline and judgment.”

“You don’t need to know your entire future today,” he added. “You just need curiosity, commitment and the courage to start flying to teach you the rest.”