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Taking wing for governor's school class
Each year, the Fundamentals of Flight course, designed for students of the Fredericksburg Regional Governor's School summer program, takes its lessons to the field
By Karen Bolipata
Date published: 7/1/2008
By Karen Bolipata
Heads turned at the sound of an airplane.
"That's an Osprey," someone remarked.
This prompted chatter from the otherwise quiet group of ninth-graders, who had gotten out of their seats. The military aircraft soared past Rector Field in Stafford County's White Oak area yesterday morning, and the lesson resumed.
When it was time to ask questions, no one uttered a word. But it wasn't because they didn't care about planes.
In fact, the 13 students of the Fredericksburg Regional Governor's School happened to be an experienced bunch.
Fourteen-year-old Ryan Blow, for instance, is training to become a licensed pilot when he turns 16. Military pilots in his family date back to World War II, he said. Ryan, of Spotsylvania County's Massaponax High School, eventually wants to become an Air Force fighter pilot.
So do several of his classmates.
Each year, the Fundamentals of Flight course, located at James Monroe High School this year, takes its lessons to the field for the benefit of the area's gifted students. Members of Fredericksburg Aeromasters and WindWalkers gave a brief lesson before letting students take the controls of model aircraft.
The students paired up with an experienced instructor with radio control in case things got out of hand.
"This is the highlight of the class because they get to see what we've been talking about," said teacher Kurt Baden, who's also aviation manager and a pilot for PHI Air Medical.
At the end of the two-week class, students build foam gliders in teams and compete against each other.
Aeromasters president Dan Hayworth said he hoped the class would help increase the number of aerospace engineers.
"If we can spark interest in one of these kids, we've done a good job," he said.
If this group of teenagers is an indication of what the future of the industry might look like, Hayworth has nothing to worry about.
Riverbend High School freshman Brad Powell, of Spotsylvania, plans to be an aerospace engineer. He has traveled to 15 countries with his father, an Air Force officer, and he studies warplanes at the places he visits.
The United States has the most sophisticated airplanes in the world, he said.
The movie "Top Gun" inspired 14-year-old Quoc Duong.
"I was 3 years old," the King George High School student said. "That kind of, like, jump-started the dream I had."
Quoc hopes to be a fighter pilot, like his father. He has built a collection of plastic airplane models, of which he has "more than I can count."
Though boys seemed to dominate the class, Kate Rader, of Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, said she's fascinated by how airplanes work.
Her father is also in the Air Force, and she has flown in his private plane.
But flying, she learned, is a complicated science.
"You have to basically experience it almost to fully understand it," she said.
Karen Bolipata 540/374-5418
Email: kbolipata@freelancestar.com
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Date published: 7/1/2008
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