Local flight school for kids needs help to stay aloft
Alexa Shepherd poses with the aviation wing rib she made when attending the Wright Flight course at Harry Clever Field.
Wright Flight has been teaching middle school all about aviation for nearly 20 years, but the free course taught at Harry Clever Field in New Philadelphia is in need of a few volunteer instructors to ensure the class continues.
According to Terry Henry, coordinator for the class and a member of Chapter 1077 of the Experimental Aircraft Aviation Association, two people have expressed interest in teaching, but neither has made a sold commitment. So the search continues.
“One of my current instructors is going to be moving out of the area,” Henry said. “I also have an instructor that’s a retired airline mechanic, and he drives all the way from Weirton to teach lessons on a cutaway engine.”
What makes a person an ideal candidate for an instructor’s position is tough to define, Henry said. The right people also can be difficult to find. In fact, the last time he needed two new instructors, Henry said it took divine intervention.
“I prayed about it and asked God what to do, and he sent me two retired Air Force guys,” Henry said. “They just walked through the door one day, and one of them right away said he was a Sunday school teacher.”
Henry does think people with teaching backgrounds stand a better chance of doing well in the position, but teaching experience is not required. A passion for aviation will keep students engaged during the nine-week program.
Classes are held each Tuesday from 5-7 p.m. in the EAAA educational facility at the airport. Class size is limited to 20 students to allow individualized instruction.
Wright Flight students enjoy a combination of classroom lectures, videos and hands-on instruction on everything from aviation history to the basic principles of flight. It all culminates with students co-piloting a small plane with an instructor.
Alexa Shepherd of New Philadelphia took the course last year as a sixth-grader at Welty Middle School and highly recommends it to others.
“We learned a lot about the Wright brothers, and we got to build a wing rib, which took a lot of time but was a lot of fun,” Shepherd said. “But my favorite part was going up in the plane at the end of the nine weeks. It was really cool.”
The daughter of Dwayne and Tiffany Shepherd, Alexa Shepherd also got to co-pilot a De Havilland DHC-3 turboprop seaplane on a recent family trip to Alaska.
The stated goal of the program is to encourage students to consider career choices in aviation and other technical fields. While Alexa Shepherd said she will probably not pursue a career in aviation, she is likely to get her pilot’s license someday.
A life changer
Hearing Henry talk about Wright Flight reveals how close it is to his heart.
“When you hear kids say this is by far the best course they’ve ever taken, I know it’s a life changer,” he said. “Parents tell me, repeatedly, that the course has been a life changer for their son or daughter.”
The free program is funded in large part by the Ward and Joy Timken Foundation and the Doris and Floyd Kimble Foundation. Henry said the 501(c)(3) nonprofit also holds two fundraisers per year.
“It costs about $300-$400 per student to run the class,” Henry said. “It takes money, and it takes time, and I’d love to know the class is going to continue after I’m gone.”
To learn how to donate toward Wright Flight or to register for the course, call Henry at 330-340-2999.