TAI, La Luz camp inspires budding aviators

  • Published
  • By Ryan Stark
  • Nucleus writer
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  The Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Youth Aviation Camp is giving its young participants a taste of air power.

The camp started Monday with 26 students, grades 7-11, taking part at Air Force Research Laboratory La Luz Academy at Kirtland.

Students learned about forces of flight, aircraft controls and more in a classroom setting. They will visit the 58th Special Operations Wing, the 377th Air Base Wing weather and base operations offices, the Albuquerque Sunport control tower and the Federal Aviation Administration's Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center.

On Friday, students will get some stick time in Cessna 172 and 182 aircraft, courtesy of the Kirtland Aero Club.

Marilyn Smith, vice president of TAI's Gen. Lloyd "Fig" Newton Chapter, said while the  camp will certainly increase students' knowledge of aerospace, she expects it will also broaden their horizons.

"We hope that they come away with a better idea of what they can do, what they're capable of," she said. "This isn't just for flying. Science, technology, engineering and math connects them with the world."

AFRL La Luz Academy Deputy Director Diane MacAlpine taught the classroom session Monday morning.

"We really want them to understand what's going on scientifically with the airplane," MacAlpine said. "We look at how the airplane works to give the kids confidence to get into an aircraft later in the week and fly."

Jim Sauer, a teacher in Magdalena, N.M., developed the curriculum for the aviation camp.

He hopes the kids walk away with some idea of the job opportunities available to them in aviation, he said. "

We want the kids to know that there are real possibilities out  there," he said. "Nowadays, you've got a lot of kids who come out of high school with no real direction. We want to turn some minds around, and let them know if you don't want to be a pilot, then be an engineer or be an air-traffic controller."

Only three out of every 100 people in the U.S. holds a pilot's license, he said.

Anna Amissah, who is in seventh grade, is very eager to go up in an airplane at  week's end, she said.

"I'm excited because this will be my fourth time flying," she said. "I'm planning on learning more about the plane this time. I was afraid we were going to fly into a mountain before and didn't pay as much attention to the plane."

For more information about Tuskegee Airmen Inc., go to www.tai-albuquerque.org. For more information about AFRL La Luz Academy, go to www.afrlnewmexico.com.