sky's the limit

We’ve all dreamt of flight. Man’s pedestrian and ambulant fate is to gaze upon the heavens, in awe, disbelief, and yearning, for an opportunity to be one with its zephyr skies. That divine and foreign experience of flight is one of man’s copious holy grails, as he walks downtrodden and exhausted upon the dirt of this earth. The burden of our planar banishment seems mundane and lackluster, in comparison to the expanse of aerial space above, and beyond us. There is something transcendent in flight, in how man, his weighted existence, can achieve the miracle of levitation with the expertly maneuvering of a multi-ton contraption. It seems unreal for him to fly, being a fragile bag of bones and flesh. And yet, he can, and does. 

For the most part, learning to fly an aircraft, or becoming a pilot for that matter, is as much unattainable as it is vaguely remote for most of us, in as much that not everyone even gets to travel by air. Blame it on Hollywood and media in how the image of a pilot have always been associated with a life of prestige, aspirational and sophisticated, but in the end surreal. We do have flight schools locally, but the disparate state of these are so depressing, distressing and ultimately discouraging enough to inspire doubt and distrust on the credibility, legitimacy and actual effectiveness of these institutions.

Enter Lucas Raven.

It was some time ago when the vivacious, free-spirited Chase Shelleé introduced us. Despite the less than celebratory predicament (of which I am still contemplating expounding on here) we were in during that time, the three of us made the best of that evening, and found ourselves in great company. Part fun-infuser, part suave conversationalist, and part crowd-conductor, he kept the energy of the evening going, fluttering from group to group, expertly and lightheartedly providing introductions that could only come from someone who has nurtured great relationships with all the parties involved. He was heartfelt and approachable, amusingly candid, straightforward and witty. He had the poise of a well-mannered old-soul with the chutzpah of a new guy, the eager novice. But novice he is not.

I find myself at a loss for words trying to describe how Lucas Raven is, in person. To speak of him as a man of contradictions would be both simplistic, and a grave disservice, to the involvedness and yet seemingly effortless nonchalance he commands. To express that he has the best of both worlds would sound too detached, selfish and elitist; for he is one of most amiable people I’ve met considering the circumstances of that introduction. And yet, I feel that to tell his story is to tell the story of both these worlds, and of all of the myriad worlds this Renaissance man resides and exists within. It’s astonishing how someone who embodies a sky’s-the-limit verve, both metaphorical and literal, could be so down to earth, laidback and refreshingly accommodating.

His name is surprisingly appropriate. Lucas derives from the Latin Lucius, meaning light and illuminant. When one first meets him, it’s undeniable how his presence just lights up a room. With a naturally magnetic demeanor, and an amiable and agreeable disposition, it is no surprise his friends are as varied as they are numerous. Raven, of course besides the obvious reference to flight, is also a symbol of positive energy in eastern traditions, as it is related to the rising of the sun (and again, the leit motif of light).

He is a man of understated elegance. His sense of style tiptoes over a tight-rope of balanced personality and quirky edginess. For the uninitiated, he could easily be brushed off as a man of the town, a poster boy of the privileged lifestyle. Do not misread this though, although he hails from a diplomatic household; unlike the socialites and personalities that echo-locate and gravitate towards his presence, within him resides a mind beyond martini’s and material mélanges.

Like all creative ingénues, he has had a few sidetracks and speed bumps along the way, shifting from modeling and its glitzy milieu to the corporate world and its conventional precepts. He has diversified his experience, not only because of a thirst to evolve, but from a genuine need to remain relevant and eclectic. But through all his travails and endeavors, the dream of flight is one that has been with him from childhood.

Coming from a diplomatic family, and a multi-cultural household, travel is no stranger to Lucas Raven. From an early age, his preoccupation with flight was borne from a reality that crosses national borders. This sense of disjointed identity has fueled his yearning to succeed and become a truly global citizen. Spawned by memories of playing with toy planes, throughout his life he has created his home wherever his journeys lead him – from Europe and the States, around Asia, and back to his homeland of the Philippines.

Today, he makes his mark with the launching of his own flight training school – Aircrew Flight Training Academy, where he himself has taken courses and is now a legitimate and credible pilot. This academy, a culmination of his dreams from youth, have both given him the satisfaction of becoming an aeronautical navigator himself, a captain of his own life, and the realization of a goal – to bring quality aviation training to the Philippines and place us on the map of aviation professionals.

From the recollections of a child flying from one country to another, collecting friends and experiences along the way, his cross-cultural stance have given him both the capacity to assimilate and absorb the best of both worlds, of all these different realities and societies, ethnicities, and customs, and to become the country’s celebrated Ambassador of Flight. Now, not only does he fly the skies and assists in teaching those who wish to achieve the same, but he does it in unmistakably impeccable style.




For more on Lucas Raven, check out his feature on RPA Style, and his biography and interview in EyeStrane. Contact Lucas Raven at his FB page here, and Aircrew Flight Training Academy's FB page here. Learn more about the Aircrew Flight Training Academy (Global Aviation, Inc.) both here, and here.