The Clear Lake Flying Club successfully concluded an “Introduction to Aviation” series for Lake County youth March 22, 2025, at Lampson Field Airport (1O2) in Lakeport, California.
The free three-part series provided an enthusiastic group of kids between the ages of 9 and 13 an introduction to aviation, including aircraft aerodynamics, controls, instruments, and powerplants through hands-on learning experiences, according to organizers.
“Aviation offers exceptional career opportunities for young people in Lake County,” said Herb Lingl, Education Director of the Clear Lake Flying Club. “These educational initiatives can help our youth pursue highly paid careers in a field forecasted to see significant growth as they reach employment age.”
The program featured a lot of community involvement, with instruction from aviation professionals including:
- Kevin Soto, a retired Boeing 747 pilot and CFI
- Tom Wasson, owner of Tom’s Aircraft Enterprises at Lampson Field Airport
- Lee Beery, 94-year-old retired United Airlines mechanic who continues to fly
- Jill Rothstein, pilot-in-training who taught students about Bernoulli’s Principle and aircraft magnetos
- Roberto Verbera, who brought his self-built Double Eagle aircraft for demonstration
The February class provided participants hands-on training with a five-screen flight simulator built by Kevin Soto, organizers added.
During the final session, student Kyree Amos won a raffle prize flight in Herb Lingl’s 1946 Taylorcraft, during which he was able to view his home in Lower Lake from the air.
The Clear Lake Flying Club was founded in 2019 to promote aviation education in Lake County.
To help build public awareness of the opportunities in aviation and the flying club’s programs, the club partnered with Santa Rosa EAA Chapter 124 to organize a Young Eagles rally at Lampson Field Airport in November 2019. Eleven pilots provided flights to 53 young people, with many more on a waiting list at that event.
The flying club has received significant support from the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA), with officials making presentations on forming a flying club and the AOPA Foundation High School STEM aviation curriculum.
Those presentations worked: In January 2025 Clear Lake High School adopted the AOPA curriculum.
The flying club is working to encourage other Lake County School Districts to begin teaching the AOPA Aviation STEM Curriculum, organizers noted.
A seminar on the curriculum will be held during the 2025 Clear Lake Splash-In, slated for April 25-27.
That event will include other presentations and seminars, organizers added.
For more information: ClearLakeSplashIn.com
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