Middle schoolers take flight after 9-week course in aviation

NEW PHILADELPHIA — John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, learned to fly at Harry Clever Field.

On Saturday, 13 middle school students followed in the path of the late astronaut, senator, U.S. Marine Corps aviator, engineer and businessman as they took control of airplanes in a cloud-flecked blue sky.

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They took half-hour flights with licensed pilots as the final activity in the Wright Flight class offered by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1077 at Harry Clever Field.  Each student had the chance to take the controls for a portion of the flight.

"It was cool. I never felt anything like it," said Cooper Winters, 12, after flying in Ryan Newell's red Hatz biplane. The New Philadelphia resident took control of the aircraft for a short time. The flight path went over his home near Tuscora Park.

"I thought it would be fun and it is, so far," said Natalie Kennedy, 14, an Indian Valley Middle School eigth-grader. "I basically learned who made the planes and what the planes did during wars."

Having learned about the principles of flight, she wants to take flying lessons.

"We're very proud of what she's doing here," said cousin Ben Lewis, a Tuscarawas Valley Middle School student, who now has an interest in enrolling in Wright Flight.

Natalie's parents Carrie and Michael Kennedy, of Dennison, were impressed by the program.

"It was ... a good experience for the kids, like a steppingstone for a career," Michael Kennedy said.

"It's an amazing opportunity for these young people to get into aviation, a career that they don't normally think of," said Carrie Kennedy. "We don't think of, in our area, a lot of aviation jobs. It's manufacturing, different things like that.

"The fact that they have an opportunity to do a program like that, and gain the confidence to go on and do something else is amazing. The instructors and all the people at the EAA give their time selflessly to these children."

Carrie Kennedy was moved to tears as she talked about the efforts the volunteers made to teach Natalie and other children about aviation.

"It's just awesome," she said. "We're so blessed that she is in it."

The course was taught by Tim Conkey and Todd Aston along with commercial corporate pilot Ellen Pretorius, who spoke to the class about women in aviation.

Aston is a retired airline mechanic. He and Conkey, both residents of the Carrollton area, have been friends since fifth grade.

Conkey is a 30-year Air Force veteran. He joined the EAA in July after his daughter Quinn started taking flying lessons at the airport. The organization offers scholarships to student pilots.

Aston has passed on his interest in aircraft to his daughters Andrea, an aircraft mechanic, and Briana, who is in the U.S. Air Force.

Aston said that he learned a lot about aviation while teaching the course, particularly the history of flight, the role of aircraft in the world wars, and space exploration.

The course included classroom and hands-on work. Each student built a replica of a 1905 Wright brothers aircraft wing rib. They learned about engines and gauges.

Kameron Norris, a home-schooled 13-year-old ninth-grader from Dover, enrolled in Wright Flight because he wanted to fly a plane. He plans to pursue aviation as a hobby and motor vehicle mechanics as a career.

Participation in the class increased enthusiasm for aviation to 9.5 on a scale of 10 for Madisyn Colvin, 13, an Indian Valley Middle School eighth-grader. She said she is now interested in "anything that involves planes."

Her father Matthew Colvin, of Midvale, said Wright Flight not only taught his daughter about aviation, but helped her to set goals.

The mission of Wright Flight is to use the motivational power of aviation as a stimulus for students to set and achieve higher goals in their educational and personal development.

Winters' mother Jessie Marsh said Wright Flight gave her son, Cooper Winters, a new experience and new knowledge.

"It's in his head, whether he maybe wants to become a pilot some day, or an air traffic controller, or aircraft mechanic," said his stepfather Brian Marsh II.

"These kids can do anything they want to do, anything," Carrie Kennedy said. "It's amazing."

A 14th member of the class was unable to attend Saturday's culminating event, and will fly at another time, according to program coordinator Terry Henry.

The EAA has tentative plans to offer Wright Flight again in January.

Reach Nancy at 330-364-8402 or nancy.molnar@timesreporter.com.

On Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Wright Flight teaches middle school students about aviation