FLYING HIGH: JHS AVIATION COURSE CONTINUES TO CRUISE ALONG

Matt Dunn gets his chance to experience vergigo in the vertigo simulator designed by Don Grossheider, right, as Nathan Edwards and Justin Crader look on.

This flight simulator is on loan from Southeast Missouri State University for use in Don Grossheider's class.

For many high school students the thought of learning how to fly an airplane is something you do when you grow up, but Jackson High School students are learning that they are at an age where they too can acquire the maturity level to become pilots.

For five years Don Grossheider has been teaching an aviation class at the high school, where he has taught for more than 20 years in industrial technology, woodworking, drafting and architectural drawing.

This semester he has 19 students enrolled in the class that teaches topics related to aviation from becoming a pilot to meteorology.

"The students really love it, we're not simulating a whole bunch of stuff. This is tangible information they are getting," Grossheider said.

"We're not folding up paper airplanes in here and seeing how far they will go," he added.

In fact, many of Grossheider's students have gone on to become pilots for commercial airlines and the military.

"It really surprised me how it (the class) sparked their interests," Grossheider said.

"But I can't take full responsibility for their interest," he added.

Grossheider's class can, if they want to, get to ride in a plane with Grossheider as instructor.

Grossheider said that Air Evac Aviation at Cape Girardeau Airport is sponsoring intro rides for his class.

The intro ride is not a requirement for the course but many students take advantage of the opportunity.

About two-thirds of Grossheider's students have taken the opportunity to fly in the Sesna 172 aircraft.

The four-seater plane is a little bigger than most training planes but Grossheider likes for one student to get a chance to fly while two others ride along with him and the student pilot.

"It's amazing how well they do," Grossheider said.

Many of his students are flying in a plane for the first time.

"It's really neat that the first time they are in a plane they get to fly it," he added.

The class has a flight simulator on loan from Southeast Missouri State University.

And Grossheider built his own vertigo simulator to show the effects of vertigo to his students and to show them that when pilots experience vertigo they must trust their instrumentation and not their own senses.

The simulator is FAA recognized and teaches the students to fly by their instruments. It also draws on a map to show where they have flown.

There are many other interesting things the class teaches the students.

They will know why their is a cloud at 4000 feet and what frost is.

Grossheider was amazed by the student's reaction when he showed the class the weight of the atmosphere by emptying the air from a one gallon can and closing the lid.

The can was crushed by the weight of the atmosphere.

Many of the students never had seen that before.

"We teach with a purpose in this class," Grossheider said.

"A course like this is an awareness to those (aviation) situations."

Grossheider also shows his students all the different occupations there are in aviation.

Grossheider got involved with aviation in 1973.

His motivation came to become a pilot came from his father.

His father wouldn't pay for Grossheider to go on an expensive helicopter ride at the fair.

"You've got the rest of your life to that," Grossheider's father told him.

Grossheider's uncle worked for Ozark Airlines and Grossheider was interested in flying from a very early age.

He took a course in aviation at Southeast Missouri State University in 1973.

And in the spirit of everything that goes around comes around, Grossheider taught the same course at the university for three years starting in 1991.

At first he flew as a hobby.

In the early 1980s, South Air at Cape Girardeau Airport had opportunities for pilots to get a lot of flight time.

Grossheider was one of the pilots to seize the opportunity.

South Air was to distribute Sesnas throughout the country.

South Air would fly Grossheider and other pilots out to Wichita, Kan., and the pilots would fly the brand new Sesnas back to Cape.

From Cape the planes were distributed throughout the country.

Grossheider has logged more than 2400 hours of flight time in many different types of planes.

He's flown King Air corporate planes, Beach 18s and many others.

He was also instrumental in the restoration of an Aeronca Champ. He also flew the restored tail dragger, which is similar to a J-3 Cub. The plane was used primarily in the 1930s and 40s.

Grossheider used it for a training plane.

Grossheider is a member of the Cape Girardeau Pilots Club and works with Air Evac Aviation in his spare time from teaching.

"I have a lot of respect for local pilots. I hope my flying can be a successful as some of theirs."

Grossheider who has been a very successful pilot himself said that he's been in a few situations that have got his attention, but nothing that scared him too bad.

Once his single engine quit on him when a broken valve fell into the engine.

The vibration was so bad that Grossheider thought a piece of the prop broke off.

The engine sputtered and ran just enough to get him to the Marion, Ill., airport where he made a safe emergency landing.

"I've been in turbulence that would shake so violently you couldn't keep your headset on."

These are experiences that Grossheider would rather not be in again, but these are some things that go with aviation.

"You use your experience and training to work your way out of tough situations."

But Grossheider also remembered the unique experiences of a pilot. Like getting to see the moon rise below your plane when flying at 20,000 feet.

And St. Elmo's Fire, static electricity that surrounds and glows on the windshield of the plane and the tips of the engine props.

Grossheider became more and more competent as a pilot and 10 years ago he received his flight instructor's license.

About seven years ago Grossheider pitched the idea of his aviation class to former Jackson High School principal Jim Nelson.

Nelson, a former bomber pilot and aviation enthusiast, suggested Grossheider write up his plan and present it to the board of education.

Grossheider did so and the board said that they were interested in the class and as soon as Grossheider had time open up to teach the class it would begin.

About a year passed from the time the board expressed interest in the class and Grossheider found time to teach it.

"I am really appreciative of Jackson High School and the support they have given for this class."

"It feels good to teach it."

The course has attracted many students.

In its first year the course had 66 students. The course averages more than 30 students per year.