C.A. Johnson Preparatory Cadets Brimfield (left), Peterson, Bennett, and Harris, and their instructor, USAF Col. (Retired) Walter L. Watson, Jr., take a look at a fast little plane, the RV–9. The kit plane was built by EAA Chapter 242 Vice President Tom Roberts and his brother Don, a commercial pilot. Experience replaced classroom theory Saturday morning for four C.A. Johnson Preparatory Academy Jr. ROTC cadets as they made their first flights.

The cadets were flown in private planes by experienced pilots, taking off from Columbia Hamilton- Owens Downtown Airport. The pilots are volunteers with the international Young Eagles program, designed to introduce young people to the wonder of flight. Pilots donate the use of their planes, their time and fuel, to share their love of the recreational sport.

Young Eagles, an inter- national organization, is sponsored locally by Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) Chapter 242, headquartered at the airport. Through the Young Eagles program, youngsters fly for free on the second Saturday of each month.

All four cadets admitted apprehension about taking their first flight, but all landed with smiles on their faces.

Soon after landing Tangela Brimfield said her pilot, Paul Carter, calmed her fear of heights by showing her how to align the plane’s flight line with the horizon. Carter has logged more than 790 Young Eagles flights and was recognized for his lengthy and continuing service this summer at AirVenture, an international fly–in held in Oshkosh, Wis.

“The experience changed my mind a little about flying as a possible career choice,” said Brimfield, a C.A. Johnson senior. “Before I was in the Air Force ROTC, I was in the Army ROTC.”

Tekeila Bennett, a C.A. Johnson junior, said the flight – on a cold, gray Saturday morning – “was bumpy at first, but smoothed out when we reached flying altitude. This was very different from riding in a car.”

Taisha Peterson, a senior, was able to identify C.A. Johnson High School from the air as well as nearby Palmetto Richland Hospital, and Junior Diyonna Harris liked being in the air.

Other EAA 242 pilots helping during this young eagles event were: Allen Folger, Doug Evans, Calvin Woodall, and Bob Stearns.

The cadets’ initial flight was encouraged by their leader, Col. Walter L. Watson Jr. USAF (Retired) senior aerospace science instructor for the academy’s unit SC–065.

During his Air Force career, Watson flew the SR- 71, a super secret aircraft that set altitude and speed records still standing today. The SR–71 routinely cruised at altitudes in excess of 80,000 feet, at speeds over Mach 3 (2,100 mpg).

For more information on the Young Eagles program, go to www. EAA242.org and there select “Young Eagles”.