Boy Scouts learn basics of flight with airport activities

Aug. 21--BENNER TOWNSHIP -- Owen LaMotte ran through the preflight checklist -- engine, fuel, rudder, propeller -- all good to go.

Leaning against a Piper Tomahawk, LaMotte was ready to take to the skies, but for one small catch -- he's not even old enough to drive.

The 11-year-old was among a group of Boy Scouts who participated Monday in National Aviation Day activities at the University Park Airport.

Scouts from six local troops learned the basics of flight mechanics, ate lunch in a hangar, and inspected planes and a Life Flight helicopter.

Local flight instructor Brad Leve went through the preflight instructions for his small, two-seat Piper Tomahawk with Scouts from State College.

When Leve lifted the plane's hood, the boys marveled at how thin the plane's aluminum body is.

"It's just a Pepsi can with a lawnmower engine attached to it," Leve joked with the Scouts.

"That scares me," one of the boys shouted. "It should only scare you if it's covered in duct tape," Leve said.

He told the Scouts that smart pilots always perform the eye test -- examining every piece of the plane -- before takeoff.

That test also applies to weather conditions. He pointed to Mount Nittany, three miles away, and a tower on the ridge behind it, seven miles away. "If we can't see that, we don't fly," he said.

Much to their disappointment, the Scouts weren't scheduled Monday to go up in Leve's plane. But that didn't stop them from building their own.

With an explanation of flight mechanics still fresh in their minds, the Scouts made paper planes and put them to the test.

They competed to see whose design would sail the farthest, and whose would perform the most loops.

Owen Moore, 12, of State College, took aim and launched the longest flight of the day. Owen's plane even bested an entry designed by an engineer at the airport.

He said his secret was trial and error.

"I tried to put two things on the side to stabilize it, because I knew mine was going off to the right a bit when we tested it out," he said.

Beth Lerew, a customer service representative at Penn State who helped organize the event, said about 50 Scouts participated Monday.

The airport partnered with the state Department of Transportation to celebrate Aviation Day, which was held at 11 airports statewide.

Established in 1939, the event is meant to celebrate the history of and promote interest in the development of aviation, according to PennDOT.

It coincides with the birthday of Orville Wright, who along with his brother, Wilbur, were pioneers of powered flight.

Matt Carroll can be reached at 231-4631. Follow him on Twitter @Carrollreporter

Copyright 2012 - Centre Daily Times (State College, Pa.)