Employee Spotlight
Wiles takes flight

Runway 17-35 closure

Moody's assigns Aa3 rating

A flight through time

WWII vet plane ride brings back memories

Smoky Hill ANG Range Open House

Flight Updates

After more than three decades of wondering what it would be like to soar through the skies solo, David "Gunner" Wiles could think of only one word to describe it.

"Exhilarating," said the Salina Airport Authority's manager of operations. "We landed on the runway, my instructor got out and watched me do three stop and go's."

Wiles had about 10 hours of flight training under his belt when his America Jet instructor, Charlie Soljka, let him loose in the Cessna 172N Skyhawk.

"I didn't even realize I was flying by myself until about the third stop and go," said an ecstatic Wiles. "I was too busy worrying about the procedures."

No stranger to traditions, the retired chief warrant officer's shirttail was removed and now hangs in his office next to legions of Marine Corps and firefighting memorabilia. According to aviation lore, the removal of the student pilot's shirttail stems from the days of tandem trainers, when an instructor would pull on the student pilot's shirttail to get his attention then shout into his ear. The instructor removes the shirttail to signify his faith that the student no longer requires a shirttail.

"We usually tell people they can solo at around 10 to 12 hours, but many stay until 15," said Soljka, who is also an aviation maintenance instructor at KSU. "When Gunner decided he wanted to learn to fly, he really made the commitment to fly regularly and I was able to solo him in fairly record time. I have every confidence in him as a pilot."

The first phase of training is learning the basics of takeoff and landing and how to communicate with tower. Then there is a written exam and a medical certificate.

"After 30 years of waiting, it's just as cool as I thought it'd be," he said.

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TOWER UPDATES

• Controller Kevin Dhabalt is resigning next month. He has been a controller with Midwest ATC Inc. for seven years. Five of those years were at Salina and two years at Waukesha, Wisconsin. Good luck Kevin.
  
  
• Craig Davidson has been hired to replace Kevin Dhabalt. Craig is a former Marine controller who lives in Salina. He was formally a controller at Salina so he should be qualified soon.
  
  
• Airport construction is going as smoothly as can be expected. Wind and weather conditions have been favorable for runway 12 or 30, and runway 22 comes in handy for some departures.
  
  
• We enjoyed the B-24, B-17, and P-51 war bird display. Lots of interest from the general public so we hope they can come back next year.
  
  
• Pilots please remember to check current NOTAMS, conditions change daily. Remember to give the controller pilot reports on weather, bird activity, and other conditions affecting the safety of flight.
  
  
• We saw a large group of Starbase students for a tour of the control tower this month. They enjoyed watching a pair of A-10's landing for refueling. They were also looking forward to airplane rides over the weekend. It is encouraging to see kids interested in aviation.
  
  
• Pilots please keep in mind that touch and go and stop and go are two different operations. You must inform the controller of your request. The stop and go can normally be approved if there is not another airplane following closely behind or waiting to takeoff. When delays start to occur, the stop and go request will, at times, be denied.

From the XD's desk: Wings over Salina - Past, Present and Future

This summer area residents enjoyed a wide variety of aircraft in the skies over Salina and Saline County. From historic WWII fighters and bombers, to modern single engine piston airplanes, we have been able to catch a glimpse of the past, present and future of aviation.

The Wings of Freedom Tour brought us an opportunity to see, touch and experience history, seeing first hand a circa WWII P- 51, B-17 and B-24. The historic achievements of these airplanes were brought back to life by the heroes who flew them in combat. Veterans shared their stories as they settled into the crew positions they last manned in their youth. Stories were passed on to sons, daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren. The Wings of Freedom Tour will return so we can again pay tribute to the heroes of our past.

The men and women of our active duty, reserve and National Guard military forces use the airport for flight training critical to their readiness to protect our national security. The Great Plains Joint Training Center and the Salina Airport is home to fighter jet, transport aircraft and helicopter traffic. Military aircraft operating overhead have a common mission and purpose- our present national security.

Our nation's future pilots are training here everyday. The K-State at Salina aviation program makes KSU one of the top five ranked schools in the country. Its graduates are recruited by airlines, corporate flight departments and the military. Each K- State aircraft carries a student that is destined to be a leader in the aviation and aerospace industry. As a community we are fortunate to have them preparing for their future careers at the Salina Airport.

Each airplane seen in the skies over Salina and Saline County has a story to tell. In each case the story includes both the airplane and its pilot. The next time an airplane is overhead, take time to consider whether the story involves the past, present or future.