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On 27 October 2012 the Kaskaskia District of the Greater St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America sponsored a super event at the Williamson County Airport. We had 50 scouts attend this event with completed 50 Aviation Merit Badges from seven Southern Illinois Boy Scout Troops. The day was started by reviewing pre-regulations that the scouts completed at home about aircraft instrument panels, careers in aviation and different types of pilot licenses. The scouts attended 5 stations on a rotating bases:
Station 1 - Static Display Aircraft where pilots from the Shawnee Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol and SIU Aviation explained the different parts and functions of aircraft.
Station 2 - Radio Control Aircraft where the Sky Squires Radio Control Club showed the scouts different types of radio control planes and flew demonstrations of the radio control aircraft.
Station 3 - Tour of FAA Tower and Airport Fire Fighting Equipment
Station 4 - Members of the Civil Air Patrol assisted scouts in making a Foam Plate Glider Model, which is a simple, hand launched, glider made from a common foam picnic plates to teach flight mechanics.
Station 5 - Scout learned how to pre-flight a airplane then received a 30 minute orientation flight (Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter #277, Young Eagles Program). Members of the Civil Air Patrol participated by marshaling the planes in and out of their parking spaces.
The Kaskaskia District offers special thanks to our pilots Evan Youngblood, Wesley Flannell, and Scott Ingoldsby who donated their planes and time for this event. Between the three planes they had about 12 hours of flight time and used 140 gallons of Aviation Gas. Also sincere thanks is given to the following organizations and groups which was very active with this Aviation Merit Badge Skill Center event: Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter #277, Young Eagles Program; Shawnee Composite Squadron - Civil Air Patrol; Williamson County Regional Airport; Midwest Aviation; Williamson County Fire Protection District; Williamson County Regional Airport - FAA Tower; Sky Squires Radio Control Club; SIU Aviation.
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