Flying 101: You Can Do it Too

The presentation on aviation and learning about the components of flight with David Werntz was an eye opening experience in regards to the practicality of flight. As I read about flight in “Into the Blue,” I could feel a sense of romanticism, especially during the era of the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart. It seemed as if it was a feat capable only achieved by the select few. This thought was further solidified by space travel, as only a few astronauts were selected to venture into space. However, as David Werntz reiterated today, flying, at least in the Earth’s atmosphere, is within our abilities: it is something that could be done with just a little bit of practice, dedication, and money.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the technical aspect of flight was the aileron. Although it is small in its size, it does so much in terms of contribution to the flight. The analogy in class was by putting the hand out of a moving car. If we angle our hand flat, parallel to the car, there is no lift nor is there drag. However, if we lift our hand perpendicular to the car, its all drag and no lift because the wind is directly toppling on to the surface of the hand. To find a compromise, it is important to find an angle (17º) at which there is the greatest amount of lift, and a minimal amount of drag. This is applied to the aileron: I’m amazed as how the small piece of metal is capable creating such a difference in the functions of flight. Furthermore, it also surprised me that David was able to land anywhere he wanted. As seen in movies, it always took a lot of preplanning with the flight tower to coordinate a safe descent; however, he made it seem very simple as to where he wanted to go and how he wanted to land.

Its interesting to note that one generally associates going up on a plane with losing all power since you have no control. However, Werntz proves that he actually feels more in power and more carefree. He reads his maps, takes naps, and only has to focus when he’s landing. The lack of traffic gives him a sense of limitless that is taken away when he’s driving a car on moving on land.