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CAMPUS

The Norwich Guidon
Nov. 13, 2003

Students hope to start Aviation Club on campus

Matt Materio sits at the controls of an aircraft in preparation for taking off.

By Eric Beauregard
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

For Norwich student Matt Materio, flying an airplane is one of life's greatest pleasures. And he wants to share the thrill of soaring above the earth with other students. That's why he is so eager to start an Aviation Club on campus.

Materio,19, a political science major from Egg Harbor, New Jersey, said that the Aviation club he is trying to create is "going to be a lot of work," explaining that costs to the university are an obstacle.

He explained that the school doesn't want to spend the money on such a project because the "insurance is so expensive.

"The route that we have to take is to try and get all of the members who have signed up and make a senior membership of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). By doing that, the Air Force can actually give us aircraft," Materio said.

According to Materio, "what they can give us is T-41s, which are Cessna 172 Special Performance; they have a larger engine, to carry more loads."

Materio plans to get everybody who doesn't have any flight experience and try to get them solo.

"Now that's up to them," he said. "They have to get their own work in, and they have to get their own time in."

He wants to get everyone who has an estimated 30 or more hours and to see them eventually get their license, and he already has a couple of cadets who have it.

"One of the problems we ran into is that the school doesn't have enough time or money," Materio said. "What we want to do is through the CAP, try to get primary flight instructions because we are in an educational institution, which you can't normally do if it wasn't for educational purpose."

Materio said he started spearheading this club about a month ago, and getting signatures, because "people are interested in the club.

"For the most part, I think that the club will turn into a Civil Air Patrol unit, because we will try to put it on a senior level. That is why we could have just cadets in the unit," he said. "That would help with the cost of everything from maintenance to repairs on the craft.

"The Aviation club is presented by the interest of cadets, primarily Materio," said Maj. Alan Lane, Assistant Commandant at Norwich University. "They are planning on providing ground school instruction, leading to a pilot's license, and even possibly to instrument pilot ratings."

According to Lane, "if this picks up, it might even go from a club to a special unit.

"I think that it is a possibility that it will succeed and happen; all that it needs is interest and enthusiasm, which will make anything happen if you direct it right," Lane said. "I had to talk to Chan Stowell, Director of Student Activities, because he approves all the clubs on campus, and I asked him to talk to the Air Force ROTC faculty along with the Civil Air Patrol in Vermont for club popularity."

Lane said such a club is not for a military pilot's license, "it is generally just to earn a civilian piloting license.

"The Air Force ROTC already has a program in which individuals do gain a pilot's license and/or do gain flight training; in fact, it may be ROTC in general," Lane said. "Whether or not it would make a difference in becoming a military pilot, I am not sure, because there are cases that you have to meet the testing requirements, like the AFQT flight test."

"I think that this club is a fantastic idea, and it's going to need help from the staff, faculty, and the University to get it up and running," said William Knight, 18, a freshman sports medicine major from New Orleans, LA., adding that the reason he is interested in the club is to obtain a pilot's license.

"I've been to one meeting, and it was scattered, but it was trying to organize everybody and just getting the job done," Knight said. "I plan on spending about $1,200 in obtaining my pilot's license."

Materio and others on campus want to start an Aviation Club, which could also serve as a Civilian Air Patrol.

Jessie Lumburg, 22, a peace war and diplomacy major from Milton, Vt., said that it started with a bunch of "guys interested on getting some kind of aviation program running.

"So what we're trying to do is get a group together that can provide some kind of access to some kind of ground here at the school where people can receive some flight training," Lumburg said. "I guess that I am the man in charge; I was asked to head it up."

According to Lumburg, they have been going around collecting information and gathering the list and nearly 100 signatures for this club.

When Lundberg showed up at the first meeting, he was shocked at how many people were interested in the club.

"I have seen three several different attempts in aviation units since 1999, but they have failed every time," Lumburg said. "So what I am trying to do is get a program going where the ground school is credited, so on a academic angle, I am going to try to talk to the provost to see if we can get some flight instruction courses approved."

The Norwich Guidon is a twice-monthly student newspaper distributed at Norwich University. It provides laboratory experience for students in the Communications program. Claims asserted by letter writers, editorials and other articles do not represent the positions of Norwich University. The Norwich Guidon welcomes signed letters to the editor. They should be no longer than 300 words. Unsigned letters will not be printed, but names may be withheld upon worthy request. All letters are subject to editing for length and good taste. Mailing address: The Norwich Guidon, Communications Center, Norwich University, Northfield, VT 056632. www.norwich.edu/guidon. If you have any questions or comments about the paper, please contact Professor Ken Bush at kbush@norwich.edu.