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HOUGHTON -- Fifteen-year-old Meara Pellar-Kosbar is ready to step inside the cockpit and take flight.
"I've always enjoyed flying, and I took a flying class when I was younger. It was one of my first memories of flying, and it interested me watching everything disappear. I'm terrified of heights, but on the plane I felt so safe and everything was so small and innocent looking," said Pellar-Kosbar.
A total of 13 students are a part of this year's Aerospace Education Program at Michigan Tech. Students learn the basics of flying, and each student will have the opportunity to fly for 25 minutes under the guidance of certified instructors.
But before the students get the chance to fly an actual plane, it all starts inside the classroom where they sit at the computer and use a flight simulation program. The program allows students to fly to 24,000 different airports nationwide.
"The first day we get them airborne and we show them how to fly straight and level. We get them to do climbs and turns. Then we teach them what they call stalling the aircraft where the engine is still running, but you get going so slow you lose lift, and then you have to lower the nose slightly, add power, and then recover,” said Second Lieutenant Kevin Cadeau, Public Affairs Officer in the Civil Air Patrol.
Many of the students, like 17-year-old Mark, are thrilled about the hands-on experience.
"For my career I would like to fly, and this experience has helped me because I've never actually been allowed to fly and do things. I've been allowed to fly just in the air, but I haven't been allowed to land and do takeoffs, and this program has allowed me to do that, and it's helped me further my knowledge on how to fly," said student Mark Langlois.
The volunteer-based Civil Air Patrol donated their time to teach the students.
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