An inclination for aviation: Students learn to fly with real airplane pilot
Commercial airline pilot Aaron Skinner, left, works with Elijah Boomer and Alex Riesberg, right, during Fly with an Airline Pilot Day on Friday at the Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum in Granby.
Eli Pace / epace@skyhinews.com
Elijah Boomer, left, uses a flight simulator Friday at the Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum in Granby with Alex Riesberg, right.
Eli Pace / epace@skyhinews.com
Two boys showed their aptitude for altitude inside the Emily Warner Field Aviation Museum on Friday.
“Do you want to be a pilot more or less now?” asked commercial airline pilot Aaron Skinner, as the boys took turns on the museum’s flight simulator.
“Way more,” Elijah Boomer replied.
At the museum, Elijah and his friend, Alex Riesberg, were engaged, attentive and all about airplanes while Skinner gave them hands-on instruction for Fly with an Airline Pilot Day, a three-hour event for children of all ages.
Support Local Journalism
The boys quickly learned flying is easier than landing, and they did a couple “land Sullies” before the day was over, a reference to Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s successful landing of a commercial jet in the Hudson River in 2009.
Skinner volunteered his time for the event, and he served as an instructor, educator and co-pilot while children piloted different kinds of planes on the flight simulator.
Working with Elijah and Alex, Skinner and the boys all seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience.
The museum’s flight simulators were donated by the Fantasy of Flight Foundation. The museum is inside the former Rocky Mountain Airways airline terminal at the Grand County Airport.
For more about the museums of the Grand County Historical Association, go to GrandCountyHistory.org.
Support Local Journalism
Readers around Grand County make the Sky-Hi News' work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.
Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.
Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.
User Legend: 
Moderator 
Trusted User
