Chuck O'Donnell's Famous Ground School
Ken Carpenter prepares for flight
Marvin McGraw's crew is all smiles
Les McLaurin and copilot
Young Eagle's Chairman, Jim Underwood and our admin specialists, Susan Hughes and Anna Miller, did a great job setting up the registration area, and Chuck O'Donnell did his usual outstanding job teaching ground school. Everyone's favorite part came when, in a demonstration of "Lift", Chuck hefted a smaller pupil (the "air molecule") up in the air and carried him across the bent-over back of another volunteer (the "Wing.") You had to be there!
After school, the kids enjoyed flying with our volunteer pilots, Max Grogan, Ted Hughes, Don Miller, and Jim Underwood. The Young Eagles comprised a mix of Girl Scouts sponsored by Susan and Ted Hughes, Air Force JROTC students of Chuck O'Donnel, and several youngsters recruited by Jim Underwood. One thing they all had in common was an interest in aviation and the desire to experience flight "up-close-and-personal." It was rewarding for all the CH 17 volunteers to make that dream come true!
So far this year, CH 17 has flown 57 Young Eagles, For your planning purposes, we want to have two more events this year, one at GTK (Gatlinburg-Sevierville), and one at Skyranch. We'll take suggestions and discuss plans at the meeting Sep 4th. See you there!
Ground School Begins!
Chuck O'Donnell explains "lift."
Jim Underwood demos a preflight
Max Grogan and happy co-pilot.
Ted Hughes prepares for flight
Don Miller and crew.
Happy Bonanza fliers.
Post-flight smile says it all!
On Saturday, June 16th, thirty-five youngsters earned their Young Eagle certificates from Chapter 17! The weather was beautiful, and participants began arriving at Downtown Island Airport (DKX) an hour ahead of the posted 9:30 start time. Thanks to the efforts of our YE Chairperson, Jim Underwood, things went smoothly. Anna Miller and Susan Hughes were on hand to manage the all-important paperwork, while Chuck O'Donnell conducted a spirited and informative ground school.
This is the third ground
school Chuck has taught, and he gets better each time! This morning's
group of students came from Chuck's Air Force Junior ROTC class at Karns
High School, in addition to a group of Boy Scouts, and several young
people that were recruited during the DKX open house in April. Chuck did
one large class presentation, then a second one for some of the later
arriving fliers.
Pilots on hand were Don Miller in a Cessna Skyhawk, Fred Eckstein with
his Diamond DA-40, Ted Hughes in a Piper Warrior, and Les McLaurin in a
Cessna 182.
Airports represented were DKX, Gatlinburg, Montvale Airpark, and Skyranch...truly a community effort! Thank you, gentlemen, for sharing your time, fuel, and beautiful aircraft. There were many happy faces both before and, especially, after the flights.
Special thanks is due to Kathy Whitaker and her staff at DKX, who set up tables and chairs in their big FBO hangar, provided hot popcorn and cold sodas, and offered a fuel discount to the pilots. Also, in recognition of his contributions to our Young Eagles program, by way of tirelessly presenting first-class ground school instruction and recruiting youth for the program, Chapter 17 was proud to present Chuck O'Donnell with a complimentary one-year EAA membership, and Chapter 17 membership.
Thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers who shared their Saturday morning, I know of thirty-five young men and women who now have a new way of seeing their home town, and perhaps their world. Isn't that what it's all about? Hope to see YOU next time!
Jim Roberts,
President
EAA CH 17
