Monday, June 5, 2006 10:21 AM CDT
The sky’s the limit: Program trains teen pilots
By Bonnie Clark, Features Writer
Blair Wilson of Tuscola and Chris Gingerich of rural Arthur are two of seven area young people whose lives have not only been enriched, but may have taken different directions because of the efforts of an area group of aviation enthusiasts.
The two were recipients of Train-A-Pilot scholarships, available to selected qualified students ages 16 to 18 from the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter in Decatur.
Gingerich plans to become a missionary bush pilot and Wilson plans to work in the business side of aviation, if not commercial flying, but plans to always keep flying in some capacity.
Loren Hodge Chapter 274, founded in 1968, is the local chapter of the worldwide EAA association. It boasts more than 100 members from Decatur and the surrounding area, who are all aviation buffs — pilots, would-be and soon-to-be pilots.
The Train-A-Pilot program was begun about eight years ago by the chapter, according to member Waldo Born of Charleston, a retired Eastern Illinois University professor and former World War II Navy pilot.
“The program is almost free for the student,” he said. “They have to pass the FAA flight physical and they have to pay for that and they have to buy their own books. It probably amounts to around $100 total.
“We want them to have some dedication towards it, but the total package is worth between $4,500 and $5,000 — perhaps even more now that aviation gasoline is so expensive.”
To date the chapter has funded the cost for seven high school students to obtain their FAA private pilot’s license. They are: Aaron Marshall of Bethany, 2000; Laura Gerhold, Macon, 2001; Wilson, 2002; Gingerich, 2003; Michael Potts, Decatur, 2004; and Adam Lauderback, Charleston, and Jessey Riggs, Decatur, 2005.
The 2006 scholarship recipients were announced at the chapter’s May meeting. They are Jeff Beck of Decatur and Trisha Rosenkranz of Macon, who are both completing their junior year in high school.
Wilson got her pilot’s license as a senior in high school in April 2003.
Her father, a commercial airline pilot, died of a heart attack while on medical leave when she was just over a year old.
“People say flying is in my blood,” Wilson said, “and it must be, because I love flying and I wasn’t old enough when he died to have gotten it from him any other way.”
She has her instrument rating and has almost completed requirements for her commercial license. She plans to graduate from the University of Illinois with a speech communication and professional pilot’s degree.
“It’s kind of like a double major,” she said.
During her university career she has worked three jobs at the Institute of Aviation at Willard Airport: helping in maintenance for one semester; assistant to the academic adviser for two and a half years, which she still does; and as an air dispatcher.
“I’ve been exposed to the business side of aviation and that has started to intrigue me,” she said. “Commercial flying isn’t necessarily my goal anymore. But, my goal is always to keep flying.”
Gingerich obtained his private pilot’s license in December 2003, his instrument rating in November 2004, followed by his multi-engine rating in April 2005.
Now 21, Gingerich is working on his commercial rating and then plans to get his sea plane rating, which he says will take two or three days.
He still remembers his first airplane ride with his dad and a missionary bush pilot in Canada when he was 4.
“I don’t remember much about taking off,” he said, “but I do remember that I was just a little guy and dad and I were in the back seat.
“It was a twin, and the guy was up for some training with an instructor. We were in the back, and I was too short to see out the windows much.
“He was doing some steep turns and I couldn’t hold my head up, and I started crying like crazy. I do remember that part.”
Gingerich said his dad figured it would be the last time he’d get his son in an airplane.
“But, when we got out, I saw another plane sitting there and wanted to go up in it, too,” he said.
Gingerich has plans to return to Canada as a Mennonite missionary bush pilot.
“I’m not real picky about where I go,” he said. “Wherever they have openings... wherever God wants me.”
Currently, Gingerich is working and is also involved in Angel Flight, a volunteer organization that ferries medical patients where they need to go for treatment.
“There are about 6,000 volunteer pilots, plus a lot of ground personnel to coordinate everything,” Gingerich said. “If there’s a patient who needs to travel somewhere for treatment and can’t afford to get there, or if their immune system is down where they can’t travel by airline and be exposed to germs, they contact Angel Flight and we donate our air time.”
The expenses for such trips are borne by the volunteer pilots.
“But, they try to keep the legs under 300 miles and have you meet up with another pilot and break the trip up into two legs,” he said. “It makes you feel good to be able to do it. It’s very rewarding.
“Flying is freedom. When you get up there, it’s just you and the sky; and you can see everything. To me, it’s relaxing. I love it and I love being able to share it with other people.”
Both Wilson and Gingerich are grateful to the EAA for the opportunity to become pilots.
“It’s a sense of accomplishment I’ve never felt in anything else,” Wilson said. “It’s amazing.
“You’re in control and it’s a powerful feeling. You want to describe it, but you can’t. It’s just something you have to experience for yourself.
“When I was 18, I soloed for the first time, and I won’t lie, I was a little scared. But, not a lot.
“Confidence is a huge, huge part of it. If you just set your mind to go for it, you really can do anything you want to do.”
Contact Bonnie Clark at bclark@jg-tc.com or 348-5727.
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