Wright Flight soars

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Tracy Brown
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Students from Knob Noster High School in Knob Noster, Mo. and Genesis Alternative Middle School in Kansas City, Mo. took to the skies at Skyhaven Airport in Warrensburg, Mo. Apr. 16.

Members of the Whiteman Air Force Base Human Resources Development Council facilitated the event through the Wright Flight program.

Capt. Chad Rogers, 303rd Fighter Squadron and instructor for the KNHS students participating in the program, has been involved in Wright Flight for the last three years.

"Every year it is rewarding to see how the students react and show interest in the field of aviation," Captain Rogers said. "This year was exceptionally rewarding, as we were able to offer the students incentive flights at the culmination of the semester of work.

"Of the 11 who completed the class, six earned the incentive flight. The agreement with the students involved improvements in school work, staying drug and alcohol free and finding a way through volunteering and giving to become a better member of the community."

Karen Taylor is a guidance counselor at KNHS who works with Wright Flight students.

"It's a wonderful program," she said. "The children who did not meet the criteria have been given the opportunity to try again in the fall. We look forward to the students who have met their goals to give testimony to the other students to encourage them and get them motivated."

Theresea Ochsenbein's son, Victor Ochsenbein, also participated in the program.

"Victor is doing really great and Captain Rogers has taught him so much," she said. "He is doing well and learning control."

She said she was happy with the knowledge Victor was walking away with, and that he was taught both safety and situational awareness through the program.

Tech. Sgt. Shannon Kennedy is the 442nd Wright Flight program's air reserve technician liaison.

Among other things, her duties included lining up instructors for the schools and coordinating with the schools and teachers, and setting up class dates and times.

Sergeant Kennedy, along with her husband, Senior Master Sgt Rodney Kennedy, began teaching for the program more than four years ago at Genesis Alternative Middle School.

Sergeant Shannon Kennedy said they instruct in uniform, "not to recruit, but to promote
questions and to instill the Air Force core values."

"Wright Flight is a program that teaches kids to set goals by teaching them aviation history," she said. "We start with teaching them about the Wright brothers and showing them the progress of their work through trial and error. Basically, we explain that all throughout history we would not be where we are today without trying, and maybe we didn't succeed the first time. The most important thing is to keep trying."

"At Genesis there are a lot of negatives that these students grow up with. I think one of the benefits of this program is that they get a steady person showing up every week and teaching them about something that we care about," Sergeant Shannon Kennedy said.
"If you teach about something you care about, it becomes infectious."

The former 442nd FW vice commander, Col. James Mackey, also participated in the day's events and made lunch for the students before their takeoff. Colonel Mackey addressed all the children with a safety brief prior to flight.

"This is the most important information of the day. The most crucial point of your flight will be the transfer of aircraft control," he said.

The students were instructed on proper actions while taking aircraft control for optimum safety.

The students were taken up two at a time. They were instructed they would fly to a certain destination and transfer positions. Then they would rotate from the back to the front so that both students would have the opportunity to take the wheel.

At the end of the event, Captain Rogers presented each participant with a certificate of completion in the Wright Flight program.

"Through the program, I hope that they learn that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to do," Sergeant Shannon Kennedy said. We have them set goals; we monitor their goals and see where they can improve and if something isn't working, we re-adjust. More than anything, I hope they learn respect for themselves."

Captain Rogers agreed.

"I hope the program was both rewarding and beneficial to them as they continue their path of education. I know it was rewarding to me and all the instructors who participated," he said.

Wright Flight was founded in 1985 by Robin Stoddard. The same year, he was awarded the Anthony C. Shine award, which was established in 1980 and each year is awarded to the Air Force's most distinguished fighter pilot. The award is given to the fighter pilot who most exemplifies a high caliber of professionalism, tactical ability and moral character.

Wright Flight's mission is to use the inherent motivational power of aviation as a stimulus for students to set and achieve higher goals in their educational and personal development. The program uses aviation role models to teach students that through their commitment and hard work they can achieve their own goals and earn the reward of an exciting aviation experience.

Students participate in a nine-week academic course involving the history of aviation as well as basic aviation knowledge.

Once students meet the requirements, they are given the opportunity to experience a hands-on-flight and co-pilot an aircraft.