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Wednesday, December 7, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Student pilots get a taste of flight
By Steve Kadel
Correspondent
Taylor Fendall climbed
out of a four-seat airplane and
walked off the Sisters Eagle
Airport tarmac with a big grin
on his face.
“That was crazy!” the
Sisters High School (SHS)
freshman exclaimed to a friend.
He referred to a 20-minute
trip on Saturday, December 3,
as part of the school’s flight
curriculum. It wasn’t just a
sightseeing excursion. Instead,
Fendall got a chance to com-
mandeer the aircraft for a
period during the stint above
Sisters.
“I had it most of the time,”
he said with some pride.
A strong crosswind made
the conditions challenging,
especially upon landing. The
Outlaw Aviation Cessna 172
in which Fendall rode was
piloted during takeoff and
landing by airport co-owner
Benny Benson.
“This plane is very nimble,
so a crosswind like this can
make it thrilling,” Benson
said. “This is a good day
for people who like roller
coasters.”
There were a few anxious
seconds when one wing raised
up, then dipped while the other
raised, as his plane was buf-
feted by wind during landing.
About 10 SHS flight stu-
dents enrolled in the Flight
Science classes at SHS got
a chance to fly in a private
single-engine airplane on
Saturday. The owners of
the aircraft are members of
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the Experimental Aircraft
Association’s chapter at
Sisters Eagle Airport. The
organization introduces
youths to aviation through the
Young Eagles program. The
pilots donate their time, fuel
and airplanes to give students
the experience — all at no cost
to the student.
“We’re lucky to have so
many pilots in Sisters willing
to bring their planes out and
spend time with the kids,”
said Julie Benson, also a pilot
and co-owner of the airport.
“The support from the pilot
community is what makes the
aviation program so success-
ful. We have over 20 pilots
who have volunteered to do
Young Eagles flights for the
high school students.”
This is the fourth year since
the program was started that
Young Eagles flights have
been available to SHS students.
Prior to the recent flights,
the pilots worked with each
student one on one, showing
them how a pre-flight inspec-
tion is done. They walked
around the entire airplane
while the pilot demonstrated
what needs to be checked
before taking to the air.
“It’s not like a car where
you can just jump in and go,”
said pilot Jon Renner, who
helped pioneer the SHS avia-
tion program as the first flight-
science teacher. He likened
flying in the wind to boating
on choppy waters, saying,
“Except in an airplane, you
have more control.”
Benny and Julie Benson
emphasized that students were
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not obligated to fly in the
windy conditions. They and
Sheryl Yeager, who teaches
SHS’ flight science curricu-
lum this year, emphasized
there would be more chances
in the future.
“If you’re not comfort-
able, there’s no shame in that
because it is bouncy,” Yeager
said.
“If you want a smooth day,
today’s not the day,” Benny
Benson agreed. “Welcome to
winter.”
But Fendall didn’t hesitate,
prompting his father, Neil, to
say, “He would go if there was
a hurricane.”
The other students eagerly
followed his example. For
some, including freshman
Ramsey Schas, it was the
first time in an airplane. She
PHOTO BY STEVE KADEL
Ramsey Schas’ expression shows her exhilaration after the first airplane
flight of her life.
came back with an exhilarated
expression and said, “That
was fun!”
The school’s flight pro-
gram is aligned with the
Experimental Aircraft
Association and provides
ground-school experience
leading to a pilot’s license in
addition to flight time with a
certified, experienced pilot.
Julie Benson said it’s one
of three such high school
flight programs she’s aware
of nationwide, and the only
one that is a public-private
partnership.
It can save local students up
See FLIGHT on page 26