STILLWATER — When Joey Graham piloted an aircraft on his own for the first time, he didn’t realize he was doing it.
Graham, who studied aviation management/professional piloting and played basketball at Oklahoma State, sat in the cockpit of an airplane with two yokes, or control wheels. Sometimes, his aviation instructor discreetly removed his hands from his yoke, leaving his student in control of the plane. Graham was unaware of it. He devoted his attention to navigating through his sky-level surroundings. Although his instructor no longer steered the plane, he was still there, ready to take hold of his yoke if Graham wasn’t sure what to do.