LEARNING TO FLY — Chris Mikula of Weirton, right, an Army veteran who flew an Apache helicopter on two tours in Iraq, was one of the featured speakers on Friday at the Jefferson County Airport telling about 80 Boy Scouts from Ohio and West Virginia how a plane flies. Mikula took time to show a model plane to Marty Lovato of Boy Scout Troop 3 of Steubenville. -- Mark Law

WINTERSVILLE — Weather can ground an airplane but thunderstorms and a constant downpour didn’t stop about 80 Boy Scouts from Ohio and Wintersville from earning their aviation merit badge on Friday evening.

The Scouts came to the Jefferson Count Airport on Friday evening to learn about aviation from pilots. Some camped out inside a hangar on Friday night. They were set to camp outside but the ground was too wet.

The other Scouts returned to the airport on Saturday morning where pilots took them up for a flight.

Dave Tulenko, Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 859 president, said the Scouts participated in five stations, where they learned how a plane can fly, were shown how to inspect a plane before flight, learned about how to become a commercial pilot and made airplanes out out of Styrofoam plates.

“You would be surprised how many seeds are planted. Several (of the prior participants in the program) have gone on to become pilots or go into the military,” Tulenko said.

Chris Mikula of Weirton, an Army veteran who flew an Apache helicopter in Iraq, explained to the Scouts how a plane can fly. Mikula served two, nine-month tours in Iraq in 2011 and 2016. He said he helped provide convoy and troop protection. Mikula said the Apache helicopter has two seats, where both pilots can fly the helicopter and fire its assortment of weaponry. He has more than 500 hours of combat flying.

Mikula said he just got out of the Army and settled in Weirton. He is now looking to make a career in commercial aviation flying planes.

He said there is a shortage of commercial pilots.

Mikula said flying a helicopter and a plane are similar when both are in the air. The big difference is in the landing and takeoff. He said he has had some difficulty in transitioning from flying a helicopter to a plane. A plane maintains a speed on landing, while a helicopter slows down, he noted.

Trish Patton of Adena told the Scouts about what it takes to become a commercial pilot, which was a dream of hers.

She has her commercial pilot’s license as a first officer, flying a King Air twin-engine plane. She told the Scouts of the many options available once a commercial pilot’s license is obtained. She said a commercial pilot has to achieve 1,500 hours in the air before they can be licensed. She is now working to achieve the necessary hours.

Marty Lovato of Boy Scout Troop 3 of Steubenville said he learned a lot about planes during the presentations, like how pressure on the wings makes a plane change its altitude. He also learned about the various types of planes and engines.

“I don’t know if I would be the best pilot because I’m afraid of heights,” he said.

But he said he will put that aside and for a flight on Saturday.

Lovato’s grandfather, Dan Wilson of Wintersville, said the presentations on Friday at the airport were excellent in broadening a Scout’s knowledge.

“Scouting is all about exposing them to different things,” he said.

Tulenko said nearly 100 Scouts were taken up for flights on Saturday morning on six planes. Phil Bender, a commercial pilot at the airport, was able to take a total of 24 kids up in a jet, Tulenko said.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)