Four Truckee-area youngsters, aged 14 through 18, participated in the inaugural Youth Aviation Camp August 22-25 at the Truckee Tahoe Soaring Association (TTSA) glider port. The goal of the Camp was to acquaint the group with the many potential careers in aviation, from piloting, to mechanical repairs, to aviation management, to military flying.
The Camp was funded under a grant from the Truckee Tahoe Airport District’s Community Services Fund. Flight training and Camp management was performed by TTSA and several of the youngster’s parents helped with transportation logistics.
- Day One started with introductions and learning the basics of how aircraft fly. The group then proceeded to an orientation to gliders and their first glider training flight.
- Day Two contained another glider training flight and then a field trip to the Reno FAA Airport Control Tower. The youngsters got to see how the flows of aircraft are controlled both in the air and on the ground.
- Day Three was another field trip, this time to Fallon Naval Air Station for a personal tour of the facility, including the Combat Field Review complex (GIANT screens that show actual training movements by Naval aircraft in war gaming exercises; the F5 simulator – a real hit with the kids (and viewing adults); and the outside display of historical Navy aircraft.
- Day Four was the final glider training flight, and side trips to TRK-based operations: Sierra Aero aircraft repair station, the Care Flight helicopter rescue company, and a talk by a TTAD staff person about civilian airport administration (and flight operations as a Navy carrier-qualified aviator).
The Camp concluded with a BBQ at the glider port for both the youngsters and their parents where they were given Certificates of Achievement and official glider logbooks documenting their flights. Lindsay Steinmaus, Jacqueline Roth, Olivia Vigano, and Hayden Ruttenberg had a great week and hopefully gained a better understanding of the opportunities in aviation.
Truckee Tahoe Soaring Association is a non-profit corporation at TRK providing youth aviation education, orientation to soaring to the general pubic via commercial rides, and the launching of private sailplanes. TTSA hopes to be able to offer the Camp next year, and to a larger group of youngsters.