Grandfather Inspired Langa Scholar to Fly

 Megan Erwin has wanted to follow her grandfather into the pilot's seat for eight years. Thanks to the Flight Academy of Langa Air, she's on her way.

Erwin, 18, a senior at Alton High School, is the winner of the academy's first flying scholarship. She was chosen in November from an original field of 30 area high school students. As a result, her scholarship provides 100 percent ($6,238.73) of the costs for a private pilot's license.

"My grandpa (Darward 'Duke'Erwin) flew in the Navy and later flew cargo planes," Erwin said. "He died when I was in fourth grade, and that was what cemented my idea of becoming a pilot."

Erwin has been accepted at Ohio State University and is waiting to hear whether she will receive an ROTC scholarship. She plans to study aerospace engineering, with a goal of becoming a Navy fighter pilot.

"Having someone with that kind of drive and desire helped us make the decision," said Mark Schneiderhahn, a flight training specialist and marketing coordinator for Langa Air. "This is something Megan really wants to do, and the finances were one of the things holding her back."

The staff at Langa selected three finalists from the original field based on presentations made by the applicants on why they wanted to become professional pilots. The other finalists were Huge Patterson of Belleville and Brock Weldge of Highland.

"I did a verbal essay on tape, and I put some music in the background," Erwin said. "Part of the challenge was to do (the presentation) in a creative way."

Erwin began her lessons in early December. Along with doing lessons on her home computer, she has been up in Langa's Cessna 172 many times with flight instructor Keith Jones.

"The scariest time was the first time I talked to the control tower by myself," Erwin said. "But I'm landing and taking off on my own now. I'm pretty good on the takeoffs now; the landings still need some work."

Flights usually take Erwin north toward Gillespie Lake, and it's there that she and Jones work on her various flight maneuvers. Erwin said her highest altitude so far has been about 5,000 feet.

"She needs 35 hours to get the private pilot's license," Scheiderhahn said. "She's out here after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She might be able to get it all done in about 5 months at that rate."