Overwhelming

     I was 10 when my Dad took me to the airport to see my first air show. I’ll never forget that day. People everywhere, the smell of hot dogs and popcorn mixed with a …new smell, different than a stock car race or a fair… a new smell I had never experienced before. It was the smell of burnt Jet fuel.

     The Blue Angeles were flying that day. They were flying their smartly painted Blue and Yellow F-4 Phantoms overwhelming this 10 year old with noise, speed and precision. I sat on my Dad’s shoulders to see the Pilots march to their aircraft, taxi out and take off causing the earth to actually rumble. I could feel it in my chest. If you’ve ever watched the Blues, you know that sometime during their performance, one of them is going to sneak up from behind when you least expect it and scream over the top scaring the crap out of you. He did. All a part of the show.

     The Blues were not the only performers that caught my eye. I watched Marion Cole take off and immediately roll up-side down and fly the length of the runway. The Red Devils trademark snaproll on takeoff and their beautiful three ship performance and then Art Scholl comes along tumbling his beautiful Chipmunk with its wingtip smoke.

     Parachutists were circled with planes trailing beautiful white smoke during the National Anthem, the Air National Guard’s static aircraft and helicopters were lined up on the tarmac and a crazy farmer stole a Piper Cub, even though he had never flown before. He drug that Cub’s wing on the ground, just missed the trees, climbed, dove and barley kept that plane flying, then managed to land again after clipping a few corn stocks and chasing several people on the ground.

      This was so much better than the Harlem Globe Trotters game I went to last fall, or any Iowa Hawkeye’s football game. Heck, it was even better than the fishing trip Dad took me on up North to Minnesota, although that was pretty cool.

     We underestimate the effect we have on Kids when we bring them to the airport. I took a neighbor boy Grant Sterns, age 12, up flying a few weeks ago. I strapped him in, headset and all, and explained everything to him as I went along. He didn’t say much, I didn’t think he seemed that excited. I even let him fly most of the flight. Little did I know that he was just simply, overwhelmed. I’ve talked to his Mom since, and she says he’s on the computer everyday looking up airplanes and talking about flying when he grows up. (see the inspirations tab for Grant’s thank you card). I promised him a job at the airport washing planes and cleaning hangars when he turns 15. You can bet I’ll do everything I can to help him get his Pilots License.

     I do some speaking occasionally at aviation conferences, safety seminars and EAA Chapter meetings. I will always bring up the topic of introducing Kids to aviation and mentoring. At one point during my presentation, I will ask the crowd to “look around” and estimate the average age of the attendee. It’s usually in the late forties and early fifties. Not good for the future of aviation at this rate.

As I had mentioned in one of my earlier blog’s, I flew in the St. Cloud Air Show this year, 2010 and I was amazed and excited to see so many kids attending the show. It had been almost 35 years since an actual Air Show had been this close to the Twin Cities and people were air show hungry.

     We need more events, more opportunities to get Kid out to the airport. We also need to make it easier and more inviting. TCA fences and unfriendly FBO’s turn can turn away so many opportunities.

      The Facilities and FBO’s listed on the home page of this Magazine have all agreed to be Kid friendly. This means that when a parent or guardian brings a Kid to the airport, they will actually take the time to show them an airplane, get them through the front door and plugged in. We have had busloads of kids visit the West Metro Aviation Facility in Buffalo. In fact, one winter, we were doing some extensive work on a 1943 TBM Avenger. We had more than 700 kid visit and climb all over that big O beast. That was an experience that both the kids and West Metro will never forget. Overwhelming!

     The Buffalo Airport (20 miles west of the Twin Cities) will be hosting another air show in the Spring of 2011 as a Grand Opening of the new airport runway and taxiways. This event also promises to be Kid friendly.

      It’s time to introduce, encourage and even overwhelm. Remember, it only takes one match to start that fire. When my Dad lit that match, he had no idea the firestorm he started in my life and let me tell you, it still rages.

Michael Wiskus

Lucas Oil Airshows and

West Metro Aviation Located in Buffalo, MN.

612-812-3873