Sleepingsquirrel
Pre-takeoff checklist
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2011
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Sleepingsquirrel
For a few hours this week several rather ordinary pilots were Aviation Gods. I arranged a field trip for my Grand daughters 3rd grade class to the airport.
Seven other friends of mine produced aircraft for them to see, sit in and ask questions about. There were no questions asked that these pilots could not answer, there were no questions asked in guile, just simple honest questions from children being exposed to the airport and General Aviation for the FIRST TIME! All but three of these children have have never flown. Only one of them had been to the airport.
The airport management team were excellent hosts and supplied a Piper Cub airshow . One of the local RV builders also did circuits in the pattern. The State Highway Patrol arrived early in the three hour session and were a big hit. Three hours stretched into four. Our local MED FLIGHT crew were also big hits near the end of the day.The Blue Angels or Thunderbirds could not have gained more attention from these children. Can you imagine 103 children so quiet one could hear a pin drop? The Q&A between the children and the pilots was conducted in open air without any amplification.
Do airplanes crash? How high have you flown? How fast will it go? Why do you fly? How are the flight surfaces connected to the yoke? Have you ever crashed? Do pilots get lost? Why are airplanes different? Why does that airplane have eyes? Have you flown through the Bermuda Triangle? This was all before the group was escorted onto the ramp to sit in the aircraft. The questions never ended and the pilots never failed to respond. Only the upturned faces of curiosity when an aircraft would appear in the pattern seemed to slow down the childrens efforts to become pilots in one day. Any aircraft that appeared was greeted with wild hand waving and ooohs and ahhhs as they magically moved through the air to a safe landing.
Nothing I can say to describe the overwhelming satisfaction of seeing this with my own eyes!
Thanks to all who made this possible! You know who you are, ....................Aviation Gods
NO ONE can take that away from you once a child gives it.
Seven other friends of mine produced aircraft for them to see, sit in and ask questions about. There were no questions asked that these pilots could not answer, there were no questions asked in guile, just simple honest questions from children being exposed to the airport and General Aviation for the FIRST TIME! All but three of these children have have never flown. Only one of them had been to the airport.
The airport management team were excellent hosts and supplied a Piper Cub airshow . One of the local RV builders also did circuits in the pattern. The State Highway Patrol arrived early in the three hour session and were a big hit. Three hours stretched into four. Our local MED FLIGHT crew were also big hits near the end of the day.The Blue Angels or Thunderbirds could not have gained more attention from these children. Can you imagine 103 children so quiet one could hear a pin drop? The Q&A between the children and the pilots was conducted in open air without any amplification.
Do airplanes crash? How high have you flown? How fast will it go? Why do you fly? How are the flight surfaces connected to the yoke? Have you ever crashed? Do pilots get lost? Why are airplanes different? Why does that airplane have eyes? Have you flown through the Bermuda Triangle? This was all before the group was escorted onto the ramp to sit in the aircraft. The questions never ended and the pilots never failed to respond. Only the upturned faces of curiosity when an aircraft would appear in the pattern seemed to slow down the childrens efforts to become pilots in one day. Any aircraft that appeared was greeted with wild hand waving and ooohs and ahhhs as they magically moved through the air to a safe landing.
Nothing I can say to describe the overwhelming satisfaction of seeing this with my own eyes!
Thanks to all who made this possible! You know who you are, ....................Aviation Gods
NO ONE can take that away from you once a child gives it.
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She's afraid of flying and small enclosed places and yet we took a short ride in what (looking back) was probably a 172. 
