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(left to right) Keith Wayman, 14, Kayle Wayman, 16, and Seth Walsh, 14.The three recently began flying glider planes and Walsh, 14, took his first solo flight this month.

Just a little extra money would have made his achievement easier, but not nearly as rewarding.

On Nov. 7, Seth Walsh, 14, took the controls of a glider airplane and, for the first time, soared solo over Boulder.

He got there not by paying for lessons, but rather by working off his fee as a member of the "line crew" for Boulder-based Mile High Gliding Inc.

Gliders are planes that have no engine and fly simply by riding the air thermals. They are taken aloft by a tow plane that drags the glider to about 3,000 feet above ground. There, the pilot in the glider releases the tow rope and is free to soar.

Walsh, an eighth-grader at Baseline elementary, began his flying experience at the beginning of the summer. He had saved $170 for the introductory lesson package, which included three flights with an hour of instruction in a glider. He had so much fun, he asked his instructors how much money it would take to become certified as a student pilot.

"It opens up my senses, especially of sight," Walsh said of flying.

Instructors Vic Hanes and Pete Schweizer recognized Walsh`s enthusiasm and asked him if he would work on the line crew in lieu of paying for lessons.

"He`s an excellent worker, the best we`ve had," Schweizer said. "He`s got an excellent work ethic. We`re always looking for new, young students because they learn faster."

Walsh worked over the summer every day from around 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., squeezing lessons in after he finished securing, cleaning and preparing the planes. He has continued to work weekends during the school year, accumulating over 37 flights, which would have cost him around $2,000.

Walsh earned a student pilot certificate that allows him to fly solo only when there is an instructor on the ground to monitor his flight. When he turns 16, he will be able to get his private pilot`s license, which means he can fly solo.

Good friends Kayle and Keith Wayman also fly with Walsh. Kayle, 16, received his license Nov. 6. Keith, 14, has his student pilot certificate.

"It`s relaxing and a great hobby," Kayle said. His brother echoed him, saying "There`s no noise up there, except the wind."

Such enthusiasm has made the young pilots ideal students, Schweizer said.

"It takes a lot of drive and work," he said. "All three guys are really interested in the sport. It`s that much easier to instruct people that are truly interested."

For more information, www.milehighgliding.com.