Intro to Flight Class Students Learn Flight Navigation, Practice for Top Gun Challenge

By Carmelo Turdo

The current Intro to Flight Class students learned the basics of flight navigation in week 7 of the 8-week course at the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation. Instructor Dave Kleinschmidt walked them through the process of plotting courses from Creve Coeur Airport to other airports in Missouri and Illinois on aeronautical charts. The students also practiced their flights on the V/R flight simulators in preparation for next week's Top Gun Challenge and graduation. 

The GYAF V/R flight simulation lab is especially valuable for providing a realistic flight experience, allowing the Intro to Flight Program participants to fly together in real time, at their own airport and with the actual weather conditions experienced that day. This use of the latest technology also provides a fair way to grade their Top Gun Challenge performance using the software's scoring system. 

Nearly one hundred students have completed the Intro to Flight Program over the last year, and demand for available seats in future classes continues to grow. The Foundation is seeking support for expanding the program from 8 students to 20 or more per class to better serve our high school and early college students interested in pursuing an aviation career. Please contact the Foundation for information about sponsoring a class in the upcoming session to help the program grow in the coming year.