First Solo Flight for Mt Airy Cadet

2dLt Stacey Bowen, CAP

Frederick, MD – The skies were clear and blue, and the winds were calm.  The setting was just right for a 15 year old from Finksburg to take to the skies over Frederick Municipal Airport in a Schweizer 2-33 sailplane, just as he has been doing with his instructors regularly for the past year.  This time was different, though.  This time his teacher would stay on the tarmac, and run alongside the wing of the glider, watching his student take off to solo for the first time.

The student, Zach Bowen, is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association (M-ASA), and a cadet in the Mt. Airy Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.  His instructor, George Simms, of Washington DC, is a volunteer Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) with M-ASA, and has been working with Bowen since last fall.

Bowen says that although he has always been interested in flying, his interest in glider flight was sparked last summer, when he attended a National Glider Flight Academy hosted by the Civil Air Patrol in Rome, GA.  At this 10-day camp, he received 33 instructional glider flights, and returned home having pre-soloed in a Blanik L-23.  He asked his parents, “Where can I find gliders here in Maryland?”

During the fall, Bowen assisted the flight line crew of the Civil Air Patrol’s Maryland Wing Glider Operations, serving as wing runner, reviewing safety rules, and providing cockpit overviews to other cadets preparing for their first glider flights.  He also garnered some instructional flight time with Maryland Wing's glider CFI, Kevin Martin. 

While spending time at Frederick Airport, Bowen became acquainted with members of M-ASA, and joined this soaring club so that he could find an instructor and continue his flight training.  He was assigned to Mr. Simms, who held ground classes, assigned tests, and took to the air as often as possible. 

The time an effort finally paid off on Sunday, July16th.  “It was relatively uneventful,” said Bowen, “which is what you hope for when you solo.”  The weather was cooperative for the entire day, which allowed Bowen to solo two more times during the afternoon.  It was an exceptionally successful day for Simms, who soloed another student, Eric Schuyler, of Virginia, as well.

Bowen, a homeschooler and student at Carroll Community College, plans to continue with his flight instruction, and work toward obtaining his private glider pilot’s license.  Minimum requirements for this endeavor will include at least 10 solo flights, and two hours of accumulated solo flight time, along with instructional flights, additional ground school, and testing. 

Eventually, Bowen would like to take up powered flight as well.  “I have learned so much, and all of it from volunteers, both with M-ASA and CAP.  You can’t do this without volunteer pilots to tow the sailplanes, volunteer flight instructors to teach the skills, and volunteers on the ground assisting with flight line and safety issues.  I hope that when I am old enough, I will have acquired enough training and experience to be able to do this for other kids.”

More information about M-ASA and Civil Air Patrol can be found by visiting the following web sites:  www.m-asa.org , and www.mtairy-cap.org .