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By Paul Chasko

One of the tougher merit badges for Boy Scouts to earn is the aviation merit badge. To meet some of the requirements, the Scouts need access to an actual aircraft, in addition to reading and studying the subject matter.

The scouts are buckled up and ready to fly.

They are required to take a flight in an aircraft, recording the date, time, type of aircraft, duration of the flight, and impressions. Other requirements are to perform a pre-flight inspection of a light aircraft and to visit an airport, reporting on how all the airport facilities are used.

Fifteen Scouts of Troop 1313 in McMurray, sponsored by St. Benedict Parish, were fortunate enough to have established a contact with Mr. Tom Reimer, manager of Finleyville Airport. On October 16, they were invited by Mr. Reimer to visit the airport and become familiar with his single-engine high-performance aircraft, culminating in a flight around the area, including McMurray. Tom’s aircraft (a Cessna Cutlass) seats three passengers in addition to the pilot and he spent the better part of a beautiful fall afternoon flying the scouts in groups around the general area.

The trip was arranged by Mr. Mark Nave, himself a former military pilot and the troop’s merit badge counselor for the aviation merit badge. Mark spent time with the scouts before and after the flights, going over some of the instrumentation they’d be using during their flights and the layout of the airport, including use of taxiways, runway numbering, and other important features. These included the wind socks, runway markings, and runway indicators.

Wow! It was great – I saw my house.

The scouts who participated cleared one hurdle on the path to attaining the aviation merit badge thanks to their leaders, Mr. Nave, and especially Mr. Tom Reimer and the Board of Finleyville Airport, who sanctioned the use of the airport facilities.

Go to "Gallery" for more photos of this event by Paul Chasko

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