Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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dedication to a childhood fantasy anding a terrifying experience overcoming fears leads to success reams of flight He remembered flying a toy airplane around his grandmother ' s house. Since he was a child, Mike DiDio, senior in electrical engineering, had dreamed of earning his pilot ' s license and becoming a fighter pilot. Being a fighter pilot is very glamorized. After I earn my pilot ' s license, I plan on going to Air Force flight school, he said. After dreaming about flying for so long, I ' m glad I really do like to do it. DiDio began working on his license in May 1995 and planned to complete it in March 1996. Lauren Urich, flight instructor for the Kansas Air Center in Manhattan, said there was no set time schedule for earning a pilot ' s license. How long it takes really depends on the student. It usually takes people anywhere from two and a half months to nine months, although it has taken some people more than a year, Urich said. It just depends on how much they ' re willing to put into it. Flight students had to pass a written test from the Federal Aviation Administration before beginning 40 hours of required flight time. Following training, they had to take a private pilot practical test, Urich said. While training for his license, DiDio piloted a Cessna 150, the most common plane used for flight training. Because of its light composition, the two-seater plane was easily blown around by the wind. Although he never became ill while piloting, DiDio said flying as a passenger was a different story. This summer in New Mexico, I was in an F-l 1 1 . We were 500 feet off the ground going about 650 mph, doing evasive (continued on page 22) DiDio crouches under a wing to check the quality of the gas in the tanks as part of the pre- flight check. The gas tanks were checked for condensed water before each flight. (Photo by Kyle Wyatt) by Gina Buster 20 -Pilot ' s License-

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fighting upport a sister raising money ope urviv; ival Giving hope to those affected by cancer, more than 300 individuals participated in Relay for Life. The 12-hour walk-a-thon on Aug. 26 raised money for the American Cancer Society. Twenty-two teams raised $20, 1 00, about $ 1 00 more than last year. It ' s a real high, Mary Stamey, relay chairperson, said. It gets real emotional when we light the luminarias and read the names on the bags. Alpha Delta Pi members walked in support of one of their sisters, Brandi Stotts, sophomore in food and nutrition-exercise science, who lost her mother to cancer. We wanted to support her and also increase our community service, Angie Dixon, junior in pre- occupational therapy, said. We were all affected by the death of her mother. The ADPi team raised $990, the most raised by a living group. It meant a lot to me. It made me feel better, Stotts said. I think it made them feel good to help me, too. Stamey became involved with the event because her brother died of leukemia and it helped her come to terms with the disease. I participate in the relay to honor the memory of my brother, Stamey said. It ' s just a great way to celebrate life. During the Relay for Life walk-a- thon, Aaron Hall, Manhattan resident, reads the names of cancer victims written on luminaries. Each participant in the annual event was asked to raise $100 to benefit cancer research, which led to competition between teams. (Photo by Darren Whitley) by Chris May -Relay for Life- 1 9

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Piloting Spicer Aircraft ' s Cessna 1 50, DiDio begins his climb into the standard traffic pattern after taking the single runway at the Clay Center Municipal Airport. DiDio commuted to Clay Center several times a week for flight instruction from Mike Spicer. He began working on his license in May 1995 and planned to complete in March 1996. (Photo by Kyle Wyatt) Mike DiDio, senior in electrical engineering, studies maps, making calculations for fuel, navigation and distances while planning a short solo cross-country trip. DiDio made the trip as he trained and accumulated hours towards his license. He had to pass a practical test in addition to 40 hours of required flight time. (Photo by Kyle Wyatt) -Pilot ' s License- 2 1