Nashua Community College Aviation Technology Students Travel to Oshkosh
Oshkosh has long held the reputation of a “total immersion into aviation” for any aviator or would be aviator. For a group of Aviation Technology students studying at Nashua Community College, Nashua NH, the 2010 edition of AirVenture far exceeded their expectations.
The impetus for the excursion from Nashua to Oshkosh was the brainchild of Robert “Bob” Donadio, Professor in the Aviation Technology department. Donadio said, “I wanted the students to become impassioned with every aspect of aviation and what better way than to have them attend and participate in AirVenture-Oshkosh”. He continued, “These young men, willingly and enthuasticially volunteered at “KidVenture”, the EAA’s AirVenture experience for children and young adults to have a “hands-on” aviation encounter. KidVenture is where kids get the chance to build their own model rockets and balsa planes, fly in a high-tech flight simulator, try their hand at flying a control-line model, be an air traffic controller, and meet aviation legends and much, much more.
According to Donadio, the NCC students, in a one-on-one with youngsters performed various riveting projects. They taught the use of tools for drilling, performed electrical wiring projects and participated in the building and assembly of an RV-12, donated by Vans Aircraft as a static (never to fly) display. Donadio pointed out that a very effective learning technique is to teach a skill to another, and that’s what the NCC student volunteers gained in return from KidVenture was ten-fold. Additionally, the FAA’s Education Department honored the NCC students by sending a letter of Accommodation to the NCC Administration, highlighting the students’ exceptional assistance while at KidVenture.
Other volunteer aviation activities these students experienced included working with Flight line Safety and Crowd Control. Many of these soon to be aviation technicians were on hand to assist in helping the seasoned flight line safety crew manage the crowd during the landing incident with the Beechcraft Premier business jet piloted by NASCAR Racing fame Jack Rouch.
For those students on duty, this unfortunate incident was a real learning experience. They saw first hand and up close and personal, how a seasoned and experience crew handles an emergency with expediency, professionalism and competency. These skills can only be experienced in real-time and not in the classroom. “The educational value”, Donadio added, “Is immeasurable.”
Another accomplishment for this excited and enthuastic group was the distribution of over 2,000 Atlantic Flyer Newspapers to eager AirVenture attendees. They willingly delivered the Atlantic Flyers to the college dorms in downtown Oshkosh where over 6,500 attendees were housed and they placed the papers at prominent locations such as bus stops and around the food stands on grounds of Whittman Field.
Funding for this adventure was gained through the students various fundraising activities and the NCC Student Senate doubling that amount. The funds covered the air fare to and from Wisconsin, ground transportation for their stay and lodging both at the campgrounds and the rented house they share with this writer. The student group included Ben Oleh, Brandon Phillips, Ben Trapletti, Ross LaMontagne, Dan Rocheford, Ed Dalmolin, Mike Landry, Orian White and Tom Laste.
Notably, two members of this group, Mike Landry and Dan Rocheford are veterans of the U.S. Air Force and received the “Salute to Veterans” recognition and special ball cap the EAA Warbird Division used to honor all veterans for their service in the defense of the country. This writer was honored as well to receive the recognition and hat and I’ll forever grateful to the organizers for their graciousness and kindness.
NCC at OSH -2-
Throughout the 5 days, from early morning until the last head hit the pillow, it was a constant chatter. “Did you see the P 51 Mustang? Wasn’t it awesome?” Or, “What about that Harrier Jet? Can you believe what it does?” On and on it went, day after day, morning and night. Plans are now underway for AirVenture 2011 and the excitement has not dimmed, if anything it has grown brighter by the day. It was summed up by one of them with. . “I’m in Heaven!”
For more than a half a million of us, Oshkosh is an annual pilgrimage . . . see you there next year.
By Stephen Cunningham
