A Ride in an F-16
November 28 , 2005
A Central Campus staff member recently went for the ride of her life.
Erin Stoen is the career and technical program coordinator for Central Campus. While her typical day is filled with figuring out ways to give students extraordinary experiences in high school, she recently spent a day having an extraordinary experience of her own. She took a ride in an F-16 Fighter Jet, compliments of the Iowa National Guard 132nd Fighter Wing.
It’s because of the great relationship between the 132nd and the Des Moines Public Schools that Erin had the chance to take a ride in one of these big birds. The day started off early at 7:30 with a preflight explanation of what would happen. Surrounded by family, Erin anxiously listened to Cornel Greg Schwab as he described the flight path they would take, as well as the forces she would feel on her body.
After the preflight information, Erin suited up and made her way to the aircraft, reflecting on the training she had taken earlier, including Egress training to know how to deal with an emergency.
After some final checks and the last word from the control tower, it was time to take off, and they did so with style.
After about an hour flying over west central Iowa, flirting with Mach 1 speeds,
and 0 g’s
It was time to head back.
With her feet firmly back on the ground, she was met with fanfare and congratulations from her family, and had a story to tell about the maneuvers they made while in the air.
The flight itself was an amazing experience for Erin, all the while knowing she was in good hands.
Erin’s chance to take this flight is a direct link to the great relationship between the 132nd fighter wing and the Des Moines Public Schools. It is that relationship that fosters opportunities only available in the Des Moines Public Schools. |
