STUDENTS MAKE RIBS … Students at the Fulton County Airport work to make a mock rib which is a section of an airplane wing. Students work hard to make them as pilots work to help them and answer questions as they go. (PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER, STAFF)
By: Jacob Kessler
The Fulton County Airport located on County Road 14 just north of Wauseon held a youth workshop on Saturday. The workshop was open to grades 7 through 9 throughout the county and put each student through different aspects of a pilot flight school.
Together with the Experimental Aircraft Associations Toledo Chapter 582 and the Fulton County Chapter 149 the students were able to go inside airplanes, understand how planes work, learn pilot communications, principals of flight, and even built a model Rib for a wing.
One of the aircrafts the children were able to see was a Self-Launching Glider. The wings are attached to the plane and give it an 82-foot wingspan.
It is capable of gliding 20 miles from an altitude of 2000 feet which is special because most other aircraft of this size are only capable of gliding for 2 miles from that height according to Rick Lederman. Rick is the owner of the aircraft and one of the volunteer pilots that were there to help teach the children.
Overall, it was a successful workshop, and the children had a good time. Violet Holuck was one of the students participating in the workshop today and said “I am having a lot of fun. I really want to be a pilot when I grow up.”
Tyler Friddell was also at the workshop and said “I have always wanted to be a pilot for as long as I can remember. Today has been a fun experience and I think it is great for people that want to be pilots or build planes.”
Ruth Baumgartner with the Fulton County Airport explained that this was the first workshop. “We are looking to grow, different possible ways to grow within the community and different partners we may be able to include,” said Ruth.
After the workshop the students will be able to set up a time to come back and take a flight and are looking forward to it.
Jacob can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com