Posted on 7/15/2007, 9:53:11 PM by GOP_Raider
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Getting into the air is nothing new for Falcons quarterback Shaun Carney, who threw 12 touchdown passes last year. But on Friday, he really was in the air.
The Air Force cadet completed his first solo flight in a DA-20 single-engine aircraft, part of a program that screens students for further flight training.
"You have a lot of people around you when you run an offense," Carney said. "Here it's just you and the plane and a lot of things you can't control."
His flight lasted about 15 minutes and consisted of three takeoffs and landings, some touch-and-go landing-takeoff combinations, and flying in traffic around Cadet Field.
"It got a little congested because there were a lot of planes coming back the same time and when things got close is when the adrenaline was kicking in the most," Carney said.
His flight instructor, Capt. Linda Thorstenson, said he did well.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
Guess I better start following College ball. :)
LOL! I wasn’t going to say anything, but...
I thought all those men and women in uniform were only there because they had no other prospects. Now I’m all confused.
That’s one way to eye the competition’s formation.
Air Force is a conference opponent of my own team, so I get to see a lot of their wishbone option offense. They’ve been running that offense since I was a kid. I’ve always loved watching that type of offense—Nebraska ran the option since the late Cretaceous period and I loved watching that type of offense.
The DA20 is a fun airplane. I wish him well.
Does look like fun - sorta like a glider-version of the Traumahawk .................. FRegards
Ace himself used to traumatize my innards with the DA20 doing "zero G" maneuvers!
A big difference from the old T-41 Mescalero I soloed in.....
Just my thought. The T-41 wasn't too sexy, was it?
DOD version of the Cessna 172, black and silver and I was in LOVE with it ! It was old, had more flight hours on it than my instructor liked, it smelled like fear and air sickness yet was the most forgiving airplane that a student pilot could want......
Roger that! Most of the stuff we 'borrowed' was like that.
Finally soloed 'legal' in 1970 in a '59 C-172 straight-tail. You're right - real forgiving ride .................. FRegards
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.