They call themselves The Flying Green Hornets. Once a month, about 12 C.A. Johnson Preparatory Academy students in the aviation club visit Owens Field Airport where they fly with local professional FAA- certified pilots. They do more than just sit in the cockpit. Most of them have had the experience of briefly taking over the controls and flying around the city of Columbia.

These action- packed Saturdays typically include tours of the airport, being in the hangars as aircrafts are being built and repaired, and re- enacting on- line air battles of World War II on laptop computers. Their last outing was Saturday, January 10.

The program is spearheaded by C.A. Johnson math and engineering teacher, Jared Hammond, who has been a pilot for 18 years. "This is a wonderful learning experience for our students," said Hammond. "C.A. Johnson has a rich history of aviation pioneers such as astronaut Charles Bolden. I think these students may be the next generation of pilots and astronauts. They are so excited about learning about aviation and aerospace."Hammond says one student recently had the opportunity of flying in a RV- 7, a homebuilt plane which travels 200 miles per hour. Eight students are currently enrolled in an on- line college aerospace science course, which is the first step in preparing the students for an FAA pilot's license.

For more information contact the Richland One Office of Communications at 231-7504 or 231-7510.