CAPNYNEWS ONLINE

By: By 1^st Lt. Robert Stronach, NY Wing PA Staff

STRATTON ANG BASE - "It's pretty darn awesome!" That was 17-year-old Beth Nearings response to fellow Civil Air Patrol cadets who wanted to know how it felt to solo in a high-performance Cessna 182.
Nearing, a cadet master sergeant with Schenectady Composite Squadron, said her instructor got out of the plane after a series of practice landings, and told her to go for it.

The student pilot was the first of three cadets to solo and one of eight cadets in a Flight Academy that was part of the New York Wing Leadership Encampment, July 19-26, at Stratton Air National Guard Base (located on one side of Schenectady County Airport in Scotia). Six cadets learned how to pilot Civil Air Patrol powered aircraft (there were two Cessna 172s in addition to the Cessna 182), and two learned how to soar in a Super Blanik Glider. The week-long flight academy included an intense ground school, nearly 10 hours in the Cessnas and up to a dozen flights in the glider despite the fact that a series of thunderstorms limited their time in the cockpit.

The ground school took place at the Air National Guard Base, with powered flights occurring on the general aviation side of Schenectady County Airport, and the glider flights at Saratoga County Airport about 16 miles north.

"You hang there, and find thermals going down," noted 15-year-old glider student pilot Caitlin Sippel. "I think it's pretty cool. You hear the wind rushing past you." Sippel, a cadet 2^nd lieutenant with Rochester Composite Squadron, said she was surprised at how quickly the glider responded to the controls. "It turns on a dime," she said.

William Stahl, 17, who soloed in a Cessna 172, said they "started out with four basic maneuvers climbing, descending, steady flight, and turning." Ground school became more meaningful, he said, as they began to apply things they learned to actual flying.
"In more advanced flights, we started to work on stalls, steeper stalls, and slow flight," said Stahl, a cadet chief master sergeant with Rochester Composite Squadron.

Also soloing in the Cessna 172 was Michelle Mudge, 18, a cadet chief master sergeant with Long Islands Suffolk Cadet Squadron 7. She is heading to University of North Dakota on a four-year scholarship in the Army ROTC Helicopter Flight Training Program.
"New York Wing Flight Academy helped me with my future in the sky and provided a good confidence boost before taking off for school," she said. "I never thought that in less than six days I could feel completely comfortable soloing in a Cessna 172 It was one of the greatest feelings in my life to know that I was flying an airplane unassisted."

Three cadets received pre-solo wings. They were: Cadet Maj. Caleb Irwin, 17, of Rochester Composite Squadron; Cadet 2^nd Lt. David Gillette, 18, of Canandaigua Composite Squadron, and Cadet 2^nd Lt. Ian Jones, 16, of Schenectady Composite Squadron. The other glider student pilot was Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Brian Lefloch, 14, with Dutchess County Composite Squadron.

This was the second year that the encampment, commanded by Maj. Randy Anger, featured a flight academy, and the first with a glider school.

"Last year, we had a little better weather; four cadets soloed," noted Maj. Howard Kravitz, a flight instructor from South Eastern Group. "One of them is now at the Air Force Academy." "When they leave here, he added, theyre pretty well-rounded. Its an in-depth program."

Flight Academy Director Lt. Col. Diane Wojtowicz said cadets who have attended the annual Leadership Encampment at least once may apply for the flight academy. Student pilots are provided with books, materials and flight suits. "We provide them with everything they need to help them pass the private pilot test," said Lt. Colonel Wojtowicz, who is commander of Finger Lakes Group. "Its an intense week. This year we were just hampered a little by weather."

Other flight instructors included Maj. Brian Benedict of Schenectady Composite Squadron, Capt. Luke Yetto of Albany Senior Squadron, and Capt. Shane Lipson, wing assistant safety officer. The glider instructor was Maj. Malcolm Dickinson, wing director of safety. Piloting the tow plane was Lt. Col. John Hosp, wing director of glider operations.

Ground school instructors included Lt. Col. Bill Hughes, wing director of operations; Capt. Mark Riddell of Mid-Eastern Group, 1^st Lt. Todd Cameron of Rochester Composite Squadron, and 2^nd Lt. Max Kravitz (assistant director of the academy), Westchester-Hudson Composite Squadron.

Flight Academy executive officers were: C/Lt. Col. Bryan Feurer of Schenectady Composite Squadron and C/2^nd Lt. Justin Gill of Oneonta Cadet Squadron. They were responsible for ensuring that the academy stayed on schedule and they worked with the instructors and cadets to ensure a safe program.

NYW NEWS ONLINE