Students take controls and fly high

It wasn't your typical flight. The small, single-engine plane had no flight attendants, no oxygen masks and no air sickness bags. The pilot was Tom Troutman, the aviation expert for the new Penn Aviation Club. The students, most of whom were interested in learning how to fly, were receiving their first unofficial lesson. Three flights took off Sunday afternoon and interested students each got a turn at the plane's controls. One was captained by Troutman and the other two by President of Penn Aviation Club Eric Zipkin, a Wharton sophomore. Each flight lasted about 15 minutes, and included an aerial view of the Delaware River and the New Jersey Turnpike. Students first received a tour of the small airport, which included viewing a training classroom and a maintenance hangar where planes were being repaired. Zipkin and Troutman explained the differences between various planes by examining different sized engines and distinguishing between their parts. They also explained safety features and pre-flight checklists to the students. Troutman's plane was the Piper Cherokee, which can be described as a "low wing" plane because its wings are below the cockpit area. Zipkin's plane, a Cessna 172, is a "high wing" plane because the wings are more toward the top of the vehicle. The planes hold approximately 50 gallons of fuel and travel at around 150 miles per hour, as opposed to commercial airliners which can hold several thousand gallons of fuel and can travel at up to 550 miles per hour. Troutman said even though the planes are quite different from commercial airliners, they seem to fly very similarly. "All airplanes have the same principle of flight," he said. "A 747 flies pretty much the same way as a plane like this." Troutman compared the similarity to that of driving different brands of automobiles. After being returned safely to the ground, students could hardly express their feelings on their first flight. "I've always wanted to fly -- now I want to fly even more," said Wharton freshman Bill Formosa. "I was nervous, but as soon as I grabbed [the controls] I wanted to learn. It's really easy." "Adjectives could not describe [the feeling]," said College sophomore Christina Uss. "It was total freedom. After this I want to run in and sign up for lessons [and] do this on my own." Unfortunately for those students on Troutman's flight, the plane broke down in New Jersey after landing, causing a two-hour delay for the return flight. The cause was a failed left magnito, which makes the spark plug fire in the left ignition. According to Zipkin, planes are built with two completely independent ignition systems as a safety precaution. Students who were stranded at Flying W airport watched the hometown Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Minnesota Vikings on a nearby television. Zipkin said he thought students learned a great deal from the overall experience. "I think [everyone] was excited and interested," he said. "It was a totally new experience for most people [so] they were necessarily nervous." The Penn Aviation Club will be teaching a ground school class next semester, which is the textbook portion of learning to fly. Zipkin will co-teach with Troutman, who is certified to instruct ground school students. The course will begin early next semester and will be free for club members, except for the cost of textbooks. "We see ourselves promoting a positive image of aviation at the University instead of a daredevil, happy-go-lucky type," Zipkin said. "[But] we do have fun."