It’s taken 19 years, but Justin Sands finally has his private pilot’s license in hand.

“It’s been a major journey,” said Sands, who is paralyzed from the waist down.

And it’s the first step to reaching his ultimate goal: Earning his commercial and instrument rating.

Sands, of Kalispell, had just graduated from high school and was six days away from getting his private pilot’s license when he was injured in a four-wheeler accident on Blacktail Mountain.

It was a devastating but not debilitating blow for a young man who had envisioned a career in aviation. He just had to figure out a different way to pursue his passion.

Sands, 37, eventually earned a degree in industrial design and went to work for Boeing on a prototype for the Joint Strike Fighter program. Later, he delved into civilian aircraft, helping design the 787 Dreamliners for Boeing.

He and his wife, Tracy, got an opportunity to return to the Flathead Valley in January 2006 when they bought Red Eagle Aviation from Dave Hoerner. They sold the business a couple of years ago to Jim and Serena Pierce, but Sands still is heavily involved in the aviation industry.

He’s working on a classified aerospace project that he can’t talk about just yet, and he’s also developing state-of-the-art model airplanes. Sands got involved in building remote-controlled model planes not long after his accident and still competes. He has placed in both national and international competition.

Completing his check ride and getting his private pilot’s license took longer than expected because getting the Supplemental Type Certificate for the hand controls of the plane took two years.

A Supplemental Type Certificate is a document issued by the Federal Aviation Administration approving a product modification for aircraft elements such as an engine, propeller or in this case, hand controls. The certificate defines the product design change and states how the modification affects the existing design.

“You’re not allowed to just go to the local hardware store and get what you need,” Sands explained. “You need special hardware.”

After his accident, the log book containing the number of hours he’d flown was discarded, so he had to start from scratch.

Starting from scratch is something Sands knows a lot about, but so are perseverance and patience. And now the payoff is tangible.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at [email protected]