Scouts participate in aviation day celebration
Dan Schiffbauer, pilot and boy scout merit badge counselor, talks about airplane safety as he gives a tour to boy scouts from the Westmoreland-Fayette Council Friday morning at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport.
Dan E. Schiffbauer, 12, of Uniontown inspects the spinner of a Cessna airplane as he and many other boy scouts from the Westmoreland-Fayette Council participate in National Aviation Day at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport Friday morning.
Boy Scouts from the Westmoreland-Fayette Council line up next to a Cessna high-wing aircraft to learn about avaiation at the Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport Friday morning.
The Fayette County Airport Authority and the state Department of Transportation partnered recently to offer Boy Scouts a chance to learn more about aviation.
Boy Scouts from the Westmoreland-Fayette Council participated in the daylong National Aviation Day celebration held Friday at the Joseph A. Hardy/Connellsville Airport.
According to Mary Lou Fast, Connellsville airport manager, five other airports across the state participated in the event, which was designed to enable Scouts to meet Scouting aviation badge requirements, learn about aviation and share in aviation’s 73rd annual nationwide celebration.
As part of the activities, Scouts were offered the chance to review merit badge requirements by merit badge counselor and pilot Dan Schiffbauer. The students also examined aircraft and learned how to chart their own aeronautical course.
In addition, the Scouts created and competed in a foam plate glider competition per Boy Scout aviation merit badge instructions. Those attending also were able to accompany pilots in a pre-flight inspection of the pilot’s aircraft.
Airport tours were also provided to the Scouts and included information about the terminal, baggage screening operations and the runway.
Program officials also spoke to the Scouts regarding careers in aviation included job titles, salary ranges, required education and duties.