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Free aviation camp gives low-income students wings
It was her first time at the control stick, and Maria Martinez, 14, eased off the power, adjusted her air speed, checked the altitude, and leveled out the plane for an easy ride.
A loud buzz echoed, causing her to jump, as a nearby plane stalled and a girl shrieked, "I'm a nervous wreck!" The instructor intervened, reassuring her and resetting the simulator, and giving her the opportunity to try again.
Martinez understood the fear of the girl beside her. After all, it was only the third day any of 24 children in the aviation camp had been instructed on planes, and in another couple of days, they would be expected to fly the real thing.
Five simulated cockpits circled the room, and the children, ages 13 to 18, took turns putting into practice everything they learned about flying during the past two days.
The children are taking part in the Southern Illinois Flight Academy Basic Flight Training Program, which is in its first year at the Southern Illinois Airport. The weeklong camp introduces children to aviation history, technology and terminology, while providing preparatory training to receive a private pilot's license.
Instructor Bill Norwood said the children who show an interest and perform well this week could be asked back next year for a solo camp. While the basic camp will still take place, the more advanced participants will learn to fly solo. If they return for a third year, they will be able to spend enough time in the air to obtain their private pilot's license.
Camp organizer Ken Robinson said the annual aviation camp sponsored by SIUC could cost participants as much as $1,000. However, he said they wanted to offer a program to make aviation accessible to everyone.
The program is primarily geared toward minorities and low-income students, which are chosen through an application process. The flight camp is free to all of the students who attend, and all expenses are covered by donations, grants and gifts from local businesses.
"The camp is geared toward students who have the interest but not the funds to pursue aviation," said Norwood, a retired captain and the first African-American hired at United Airlines.
Although many children would not be interested in much of anything at 8 a.m., the instructors offer incentive to early risers.
Brian Summerville, 17, was ready to go at 5 a.m. Wednesday to make sure he was the first one at the camp. As the first one there, he was selected to accompany Allan Englehardt, a captain at United Airlines for the past 33 years, in his Super Decathlon, an aerobatics plane.
Summerville could not wait to get out of his parachute and share his tales of flying upside down, barrel rolls, figure eights and other tricks at speeds as high as 3 Gs with the rest of the class when they arrived.
"That's what I like to see - interest and motivation," said Englehardt, one of the first graduates of the SIUC flight program. "People always have different reactions when I do that. Most of them scream or something, but he just laughed."
Everyone listened to the story in awe, some vowing to arrive first the following morning, and some, like Allison Aumiller, 14, became even more apprehensive.
"It's sort of nerve- wracking," she said. "I've never been in a plane before, and it's a little bit scary. It's been more fun now, but I'm afraid I'm going to do something wrong and then crash!"
Robinson said the simulators help the children gain confidence before taking them up in an actual plane. They are able to use practical application of the skills they have already learned about without having to worry about being 1,000 feet in the air.
Although this is the first year for the camp, it is based off of material and guidelines used by instructors and retired pilots Norwood and Dave Harris, who have sponsored camps for the past three years in Gary, Ind.
Calvin Allan, a pilot for Delta Airlines, and Charles Rodriguez, who has introduced programs across the country with children, also volunteered their time to teach the kids about aviation. The seven men came from as far away as Florida and Texas to assist with the program.
"These men are all tops in their field," Robinson said. "They're all willing to give their time to these kids, and that's something special. I hope the kids will interact with and emulate men like these; they have successful careers and are still willing to give back what they can."
Neal McCurry, 16, said the instructors have made the camp fun and have inspired him to try to get his pilot's license.
"It's really fun and cool to be around these people who know so much about aviation," McCurry said. "It's amazing. They've done all of this before, and they all have these great stories to tell."
The instructors teach everything from airplane history to the mechanics of flying, but it is not all lectures. The children often get up in front of the class to give presentations on certain aspects of flying which they read about in their manuals.
They also toured the SIUC flight facilities and learned about aerodynamics by constructing bottle rockets that flew as high as 818 feet in the air. The program will end Friday with a reception and formal graduation ceremony.
"It teaches leadership, accountability, discipline; aviation is a very disciplined industry and builds character," Robinson said. "It helps them get focused on living life and shows them if they study and achieve, nothing is out of their reach. That's what this is all about."
