Flying Scouts earn wings in Hondo

[fgoodwin]

Flying Scouts earn wings in Hondo

 

 

http://tinyurl.com/flhye

 

Web Posted: 03/20/2006 12:00 AM CST

Elizabeth Allen

Express-News Staff Writer

 

The low gray sky began misting early Sunday on Boy Scouts at the second annual Hondo Aviation Day, shutting down the last few flights of a plane-packed weekend.

 

But for the organizers and volunteers who spent 10 nonstop hours Saturday rotating about 500 kids through flights in four small airplanes at Hondo Municipal Airport, it was a success. Its organizers said the weekend gathering of Scouts in aviation is the largest of its kind in the nation.

 

Mitch Roddy, 11, and Travis Johnson, 10, of Houston-area Troop 901, grinned and shuffled their feet when asked if they itched to touch the controls of the Piper PA-32 and Cessna 182 they rode in to earn aviation merit badges. They noted how rough the small planes felt compared with big commercial airliners.

 

"When I grow up, I'd really like to have a plane, if I can afford it," Mitch said.

 

Despite the parade of sunny weeks that preceded this gloomy weekend, Houston-area organizer Debbie Cherry wasn't about to curse the weather.

 

"I know y'all need this rain," said Cherry, an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 901.

 

The drizzle replaced thunderstorm watches for the Hill Country, and it managed to turn San Antonio roads slick and to dampen pastures throughout South Central Texas.

 

Inclement weather prevented some of the volunteer pilots in the Experimental Aircraft Association's Young Eagles Program from reaching Hondo, said John Killian, a San Antonio lawyer, association member and father-in-law to Cherry, as well as owner of a Hondo airport hangar. That cut the available planes and pilots from about 14 to four.

 

As the last of the troops broke camp and headed out Sunday, Killian sat on a couch with several other volunteers.

 

They all had the look of people who had been going full speed all day for several days before finally coming to a stop. Nobody moved unless he or she had to, except Cherry, whose air was perpetually brisk.

 

Killian is a flight enthusiast, but his interest in Boy Scouts has more to do with his daughter-in-law's relentless organizing.

 

"I basically shamed him into becoming a merit badge counselor," Cherry said.

 

It began last year when she persuaded him to get the Experimental Aircraft Association to host a fly-in for her two boys and their troop. Killian told her to extend the invitation to all Houston scouts.

 

"I said, 'John, there's 100,000 Boy Scouts in Houston,' and he said, 'I don't care. Put the word out.'"

 

Killian then felt he should invite San Antonio scouts, too, and Cherry said 266 Scouts converged on Hondo last year. This year there were 605, she said, and those who didn't get to go up will likely get another chance in the Houston area.

 

The organizers were proud of the guest lecturers and pilots, such as retired Army Brig. Gen. Julius Braun and astronaut Charlie Duke, an Apollo 16 veteran who walked on the moon.

 

But it took a much bigger effort from a lot more people just to manage the basics of such a large gathering.

 

"I bet you there was 100 volunteers easy," Killian said. "You have to have people around the airplanes to make sure the kids don't run into the propellers. (And) we probably cooked 1,000 hamburgers in an hour."

 

A camped-out crowd of hundreds of people can also produce a lot of trash in short order, as Collin Cherry, 14, and Leo Caesar, 13, discovered.

 

Collin and Leo got to fly last year, so this year they came as volunteers. They most enjoyed escorting scouts on and off planes, Leo said, mainly because when they were doing that, "we didn't have to pick up things that smelled bad."

[OneHour]

fgoodwin ... we were there, but our boys didn't earn their wings. After waiting for 3 hours, their flights were cancelled. We were proud of the fact that our guys behaved very scoutly & gentlemanly! Overall, we had mixed reviewed from our scouts. Maybe the fact that they didn't get to fly might have something to do with it. Today, we were informed that they will try to arrange something in Houston for us and the other troops that didn't get to fly! Thank goodness the storm held up until we left San Antonio! It was a great effort and event over all even with the slight drizzle! Our special thanks to all of the volunteers and event organizers.

 

1Hour

[Mike F]

OneHour,

One of my sons was there, too. Similar report, although they were lucky enough to fly in a 4-person Cessna and he thought that was "pretty cool."

I have a problem with this activity, though. My son described the day as sitting for hours in a big hangar listening to briefings, going on the flight, then receiving signed Aviation Merit Badge cards at the end of the day. Upon reviewing the requirements for the merit badge (http://meritbadge.com/mb/025.htm), I see lots of requirements that say explain, define, demonstrate, etc., but none that say to just sit in a building with 600 other scouts and listen to someone talk about it.

[OneHour]

Hey Mike ... I agree with you. I have the same "uneasy" feeling about the mb; however, as in any mass mb day/fair/university/classes, hands-on, a lot of the actual demonstrate, point, explain actions are blurred enough to satisfy the requirements. I had the same talk to on of our other scoutmasters on hand. Nevertheless, it was an experience for some of the scouts to have met an air force general or even a colonel! For others, this is probably the only opportunity to get to fly a Cesna.

 

Great to hear from you!

 

1Hour