Club at Dover Air Force Base flies high

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Matthew Hubby
  • 436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Flying an aircraft is not a hobby for everyone. For some it is too hard, too expensive or too time consuming, but for others, it is the greatest thrill in the world.

The Dover Air Force Base Aero Club opens its doors to all interested in learning how to fly, no matter the skill.

The Aero Club offers the opportunity for people to fly an aircraft to see if they would like to take the time to earn their pilots license. There are two main types of licenses: private and commercial.

A private license allows a pilot to fly with non paying passengers. This allows the pilot to fly for fun, or travel by flying themselves. A commercial license is similar to a private license, but it allows the pilot to be paid to fly. There are several different certificates that can be earned with the license. An instrument certification allows a pilot to fly in rougher weather than normal and an air transport certificate allows them to fly for an airline.

"We have about 100 students currently enrolled," said Joe Nickle, 436th Force Support Squadron Aero Club manger. "At any given time 15 to 30 of them can be actively flying. Most of them are looking for their private licenses, but about 10 to 15 percent of them go on to get their commercial licenses or instrument certification." he said.

The Aero Club also offers a course to teach licensed pilots how to become flight instructors. A new program from the Federal Aviation Administration allows military flight instructors to test to become FAA flight instructors.

"We also work with the pilots on base to get them their single engine aircraft rating, since many of them are multi-engine rated," said Mr. Nickle. "We also work with POLYTECH High School and the Boy Scouts on some of their aviation programs."

One POLYTECH High School JROTC student has obtained his license almost a year early, nearing the completion of his junior year of high school, and is working on his instrument certification.

"Aviation is always something I wanted to do," said George Antoniou, POLYTECH High School junior. "I grew up in an Air Force family, my grandfather served, my father served, and my older brother is currently stationed at McDill Air Force Base. When I finish at POLYTECH I want to attend the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, Co."

The program with the Aero Club and the POLYTECH campus requires the students to finish a ground school course at POLYTECH before being allowed into the cockpit of an aircraft at the Aero Club to earn their pilot's license.

"I knew I needed to learn as much as I could at ground school and so I studied as hard as I could to get it done in a timely manner," Mr. Antoniou said. "It's easy to get distracted in the small classes, but I focused and took the time to learn what I needed. The things you learn in ground school can save your life, so I stayed dedicated to it."

"The satisfaction of flying is my favorite thing about it. The feeling of being in the air, the sensation is something I haven't found anywhere else in life, it's unmatched." he said.