Justin’s Pilot Reports (PIREP)

Wow.

I think that’s the simple word that came out of my mouth to match the mile-wide grin and glazed look in my eyes. You see, I was just stepping out of a 1929 Ford Tri-Motor onto the soft grass field at the Pioneer Airport in Oshkosh, WI.

The Tri-Motor ride was just one of many highlights during a weekend stay at the beautiful EAA Air Academy. I joined a group of about 28 educators, pilots and aviation enthusiasts to learn about the EAA’s Aeroscholars program. This program is amazing. It provides true virtual learning for high school students via an online aviation curriculum. The course is fully college accredited which makes it an attractive option for students interested in aviation. It’s also a fun and powerful way to teach students about science.

I’ll be starting the course myself in the next few weeks to help me promote the program. I can’t wait to dig-in and refresh my aeronautical knowledge. If you’d like to get a taste for this exciting program, you try out two demo courses for free.

The EAA did a fabulous job and fed us well! We also got a personal tour of the EAA Airventure Museum which was incredible. I got to meet a great group of people that all share a love for aviation and a passion for learning.

…oh, and about that Tri-Motor. What can I say? It was incredible. We roared down the grass strip for a very brief amount of time before she soared into the open sky. I was just behind the cockpit in the front seat and got to be up close (literally) and comfortable with the right engine.

The yoke in Tri-Motor is round like an automobile. To turn the airplane, well, you turn it…just like your car. The cockpit is spartan with very few gauges….but really, what does one expect from an airplane built in 1927 less than three decades after the Wright Brother’s first flight!!? As usual, I had my Canon EOS 1D Mark II with me to document the experience.

A big thanks to everyone at the EAA that made this experience possible (Lee, Milt, Michelle, etc.!) and to Rand Goldstein of Wright Flyers for extending the invitation to me. And to all my fellow Aeroscholar facilitators, it was a pleasure meeting you and I look forward to sharing knowledge so we can make the program succeed!