Waterford-The plane is mangled.
Steel is twisted to reveal a burned-out compartment. The sun glints off the remains.
A pilot and passenger were riding in the plane when one engine quit. The pilot was turning the plane back to Oakland County International Airport when the second engine died and the plane crashed. Both people inside survived and crawled away from the accident.
Elizabeth McGhee, a Brandon Township resident, tells this story as she walks around the wreckage at the airport. She marvels at the fact that the people lived through it.
As the leader of the 4-H Aviation Club, which she formed last September, McGhee regularly takes students to the crash site at the Oakland County International Airport. They talk about preventing crashes and safety. The knowledge comes in handy, especially since club members routinely fly when the group meets at 7 p.m.on the third Thursday of every month.
Today is no exception.
Members of the club stand near three small planes on the tarmac, one of which is a two-seater Cessna 150.
It was two years ago that McGhee’s daughter, Grace, told her mother she wanted to learn how to fly.
‘I about fainted when I heard how much it cost? about $120 an hour and up,? says McGhee. ‘You need at least 40 hours of flying time to become licensed and that’s if you’re a genius.?
Some of McGhee’s other children (she has nine), also wanted to learn and she found out she could buy a two-seater plane for less than $20,000. She bought the Cessna and became licensed in May 2004. She has 200 hours of flight time, including 70 cross-country hours.
McGhee began the club so kids could learn to fly without what she calls the exorbitant cost. The Aviation Club is always accepting new members, ages 5 and above are welcome. McGhee educates members about flight charts, aerodynamics, safety and pre-flighting, which is preventive maintenance.
The pre-flight check is what students are doing now. Fuel is inspected and a checklist of tasks is completed.
McGhee describes piloting a plane as ‘just like driving in a car, but nicer? no bumps, speed lanes or stop signs.?
Craig Modlin, 13, has been in the club for about five months. He wants to be a pilot.
‘It’s fun,? he says. ‘You get to do flight plans, crash stories, and you get to fly. It doesn’t make me nervous, just plain excited.?
Now, the students are ready to go up. Two other pilots are on hand, offering their planes for rides. The kids can fly the planes, but the licensed pilots must land them. Flight time for Aviation Club members can not be used as instruction time.
Chris Ward, 14, steps into the front passenger seat of a four-seater plane. He, the pilot and two more passengers buckle seatbelts and place headphones over their ears for noise protection. The plane taxis down the runway, gathering speed and lifting off the ground. The plane flies at an elevation of about 2,000 feet over an abundance of lakes, trees, homes, roads and swimming pools.
Upon returning to the airport and exiting the plane, Ward says, ‘That was fun. I felt like a bird in the sky. I want to see the world from a bird’s point of view.?
For more information on the 4-H Aviation Club, call (248) 858-0889.