Athens State Professor Wayne McCain’s small plane, christened “Snoopy,” completed its first successful flight on Feb. 28, 2023.

“I always wanted to build an airplane,” McCain said. “That’s one of the things that’s been on my bucket list.”

McCain has been a pilot since 1969, having gained an interest in flying at a young age.

“At Auburn, I majored in aerospace engineering and was in the Air Force ROTC. I would have gone into the Air Force had they been taking pilots at that time in 1973,” McCain said.

Snoopy is a “long time coming,” for McCain and “it’s been very rewarding” but something that he “probably wouldn’t undertake again.”

McCain says that up next for Snoopy is custom nose art by a student artist, depicting Snoopy on his doghouse with a scarf on and Woodstock flying close by.