A aerial view of the Historic Courthouse puts things in perspective.
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Jason Clem always wanted to be a pilot.
“It was one of those little boy dreams,” said Clem, the office manager and dispatcher for Maxair at the Murfreesboro Municipal Airport. “I just always wanted to do it.”
Clem always wanted to fly partly because his grandfather flew a plane and partly because it’s addictive, the MTSU aerospace and aeronautics student said.
Clem is living his dream and now it’s easy for anyone to jump in a plane to fly among the clouds with “Let’s Go Flying,” a public outreach program from the nonprofit Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
“Let’s Go Flying” allows the general public to find out what it is like to fly a small plane with a 30-minute, introductory flight for $89, half the typical price of a similar flight.
The introductory flight includes training advice from an experienced pilot and an introduction to the ins and outs of how planes work.
The hands-on experience allows participants to actually taxi out to the runway, throttle up and pull back on the controls at takeoff, all under the supervision of a certified flight instructor.
While in the air the pilot gives a unique tour of Murfreesboro from the cockpit of a four-seat, single-engine propeller aircraft.
For those who decide to continue with pilot training, the introductory flight counts as time earned toward the 40 hours needed for a private pilot license.
To qualify as a private pilot, individuals must be at least 17 years old, complete a minimum of 40 hours flying time, including at least 20 hours with an instructor and a minimum of 10 hours solo practice flying and completing a basic physical by an Federal Aviation Administration-approved local physician.
Student pilots must also complete a written as well as practical exam before receiving a license.
“Let’s Go Flying” is a first step in the process to finding out what it takes to be a full-fledged pilot.
According to the FAA, more people are doing just that with more than 100,000 people taking introductory flights every year.
The FAA also predicts an increase in both student and licensed pilots in the next 10 years with more than 108,000 students by 2015, up from 90,110 in 2005; and 271,400 licensed private pilots up from 245,000 in 2005.
Maxair Flight Instructor Brian Graham certainly understands why people want to try a hand at flying. Most of his students are amazed they can actually do it, he said.
“A lot of people think flying is hard, but it’s easy,” Graham said. “It’s the mental part that’s hard.”
And like Clem, Graham warned of the addictive nature of flying a plane.
“Be careful, you might catch the bug,” he said. “If you fly once, you’ll want to continue flying.”
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.
More information …
www.letsgoflying.com |
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