Not all 19-year-olds can say they’ve flown a plane over Santa Catalina Island, but Matthew Miamidian can.  

The junior, a double-major in finance and entrepreneurship and innovation, was 13 when he first piloted a plane, though he’s quick to point out he was being coached by his pilot friend at the time. When that friend, who flew for Southwest Airlines, invited him onto his RV-6A — a homebuilt two-seater, single-engine aircraft — Miamidian said he thought he was just going along for a ride and would take photos out the window. Instead, his host had him sit in the captain’s seat and began explaining the controls.  

When asked if he wanted to take the controls to fly, the teenager went for it. While Miamidian has flown many times since then, he appreciates that early opportunity. 

“He had a lot of confidence in a 13-year-old,” he said of his friend. 

Today, Miamidian is a full-time student taking morning classes at TCU and flying Piper Arrows and Warriors and Cessna 172s and 182s in the afternoons. He earned his private pilot license last spring and is working toward completing the 250 flying hours needed for a commercial pilot certificate.  

What he enjoys most about piloting is the blend of raw excitement and technical, intellectual challenge. “Flying instruments,” which means flying under poor visibility and relying solely on one’s equipment, keeps Miamidian mentally stimulated, while liftoff appeals to his love for adrenaline. He even likes the turbulence, which he said feels “like a free massage.”  

“There’s something about being in control and being a few thousand feet in the air that’s kind of surreal,” he said.  

Bonding Onboard 

Miamidian has been drawn to aviation since he was 3. He said he played a lot of flight simulator games, which gave him a feel for aerodynamics and takeoff and landing procedures. But those simulations failed to fully capture how thrilling — and nerve-wracking — it is to fly.  

“It’s one thing [taking off and landing] on a flight simulator, it’s another thing putting it into practice in real life,” he said. 

It is illegal for children under 16 to fly a plane solo, certified flight instructor Samantha Woodward said, but kids taking the captain’s seat under supervision isn’t uncommon. She started at age 7. 

Miamidian’s first flight went well from start to finish, and now he is the one bringing friends on board. He once flew some buddies over Santa Catalina Island, California, and still remembers their stunned reactions as they looked out the window. Another time, he took his fraternity brother, roommate and another friend on a day trip to Choctaw Casino & Resort-Durant in Oklahoma to play poker. They rented a plane and were back in Fort Worth by dinnertime. 

Santa Catalina is one of his favorite places to fly because of its sometimes-challenging landing and beautiful views, he said, though a recent flight in Hawaii was memorable. 

“The views around Hana were breathtaking,” he said. 

Woodward teaches at Huffman Aviation in Burleson, Texas, and has worked with Miamidian for almost two years. She described him as a safe and competent pilot whom she would trust to fly her own family. 

“I have a lot of students,” she said, “and when I see him on my schedule, I’m excited because I know I don’t have to stress about almost dying that day.” 

Because the commercial pilot certificate program requires 300 nautical miles of cross-country flying experience, Woodward said she and Miamidian have many fun trips. Their longest flight was a 285-mile trek to Mustang Beach in Port Aransas, Texas. They made a pitstop in Lockhart for barbecue on the way back. Such long flights give them an opportunity to talk about career aspirations and what Miamidian is up to at school. 

“It’s fun to hear his stories about life at TCU,” she said. 

From mock flight simulators to real skies over Catalina Island, TCU junior Matthew Miamidian has turned childhood curiosity into a calling. Photo by Glen E. Ellman

Aviation and Academics 

Michael Grohman, an instructor in the Neeley School of Business’s management and leadership department, said Miamidian’s drive and ambition caught his attention when Miamidian took Grohman’s Business and Society course in 2023. He was one of only a few students who showed up on Day 1 having already read the syllabus and prepared to introduce himself, Grohman said. 

The course was discussion-based and entailed many conversations about students’ life experiences, so it didn’t take long for aviation to come up. While discussing business models and corporate strategy, Miamidian gave examples he’d seen from the aviation industry. Grohman said he was surprised to learn about Miamidian’s hands-on experience. 

“That intrigued me,” he said, “because it’s not every day you meet a college student who’s also pursuing a commercial pilot’s license.” 

“There’s something about being in control and being a few thousand feet in the air that’s kind of surreal.”
Matthew Miamidian

Flying became a regular topic of conversation in class. When Grohman asked students about their weekend plans, the young pilot’s schedule often involved flying and accruing more flight hours. That unique perspective and openness to share helped drive class engagement, Grohman said, and when the class broke into groups and picked companies to research and analyze for their final project, Miamidian’s group chose Boeing. 

“It really created an interesting dynamic,” Grohman said of Miamidian’s insights, “and being able to have kind of an open dialogue at that level with … as much understanding [as] he had was refreshing.” 

Miamidian hopes to pursue a career in aviation law, which covers issues from noise complaints and personal injury to insurance and liability. He has considered flying for an airline but said that’s not his long-term goal. 

Grohman said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Miamidian step into a leadership role in any organization or industry, but he suspects he’ll ultimately land “an amazing position in aviation.” 

Though Miamidian loves being airborne, he is afraid of heights and said there’s one flying-related activity he won’t do. 

“People ask me if I’ll ever go skydiving,” he said. “No.”