0
Page 2- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, April 3, 1990
Come
fly
away
Soaring with the U=-MI
by Sandhya Rao
As I stepped into the Cessna 172
four-seater, I said to myself, "What
am I doing? I don't even like
rollercoasters and I'm about tofly a
plane?" Sitting next to me in front of
a reassuring duplicate set of brakes
and control yoke (that's flight lingo
for steering wheel) was Finlay
Beaton, president of the Michigan
Flyers.
The University of Michigan
Flyers, a non-profit flying club, is
located at the Ann Arbor Airport.
The club, founded in the 1930's, has
taught hundreds of people how to fly
including Matt Seamon, graduate of
the University of Michigan and
current member of U.S. Navy Blue
Angels flying team.
The club is made up of over 100
members including commercial
airline pilots, ex-fighter pilots,
professors and 32 University
students. The average member flies 3
to 4 hours a week. Beaton flies 30
7
hours a week, mostly as a flight
instructor.
"Flying is addictive," Beaton
said, while I practiced taxiing down
the runway. "Once you are up
there, you will see what I mean."
"I'm not sure I want to see what
you mean," I thought.
The club allows members to
share their passion for flying; they
exchange flight stories and listen to
ex-fighter pilots relate amazing tales
of war. Although the flying club is
the largest in the state, the close-knit
feeling between the members of the
club is apparent.
"This is because we are all
owners and operators of the planes,"
said Matt Halstead, one of the
Flyers' ten Certified Flight
Instructors. When a person becomes
a member, he or she owns an equal
share of the club, including its seven
planes.
The comraderie comes from "each
member doing their share of the
work to keep the club in order,"
Halstead said.
We stopped just short of the
runway and made a pre-flight check
of the engine and instruments. As I
read off a checklist, I realized how
little I knew about the plane 1 was
about to fly.
My fear was soon replaced by
sheer terror as I found myself
taxiing down the runway shakily at
85 miles per hour. I tried to keep the
plane straight on the runway but I
wasn't doing very well and the
control tower called in asking us if
we "needed any assistance."
The U of M Flyers, whose logo is
posted in their hanger in the Ann
Arbor airport (above), provided this
view of campus (left) from their
airplane.
'lyers
old, and pass oral, written and flight
tests to obtain a Private Pilot
Certificate. An Airline Transport
Pilot Certificate, which is needed to
fly passengers for major airlines,
may be obtained by completing1500
hours of flight time.
As we taxied down the runway,
the pit in my stomach grew.
"Pull back on the yoke," Beaton
shouted over the roar of the engine.
We were off the ground before I had
time to shut my eyes and pray for
dear life.
Once we were up in the air, the
IN BRIEF
Compiled from Associated Press and staff reports
Lithuanians invite Soviets to
discuss gradual independence
MOSCOW - Lithuania's president yesterday invited Kremlin offi-
cials to Lithuania to discuss the republic's secession drive and struck a
conciliatory note by saying Lithuania wants gradual, not immediate, full
independence.
While government officials sought a compromise solution to the
dispute, 1,000 pro-independence demonstrators rallied at the Lithuanian
prosecutor's officer to protest its occupation by Soviet soldiers.
Washington deplored Moscow for ordering all 100 foreign journalists
in the republic to leave by Monday.
There was no immediate response from Moscow to the invitation from
President Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania.
Landsbergis told legislators that officials face "political difficulties" in
dealing with Lithuania's March 11 declaration of independence.
"Therefore it is essential to look for a way of helping them and
ourselves," he said.
Iraqi president says country
may use nerve gas on Israel
BAGHDAD, Iraq - President Saddam Hussein said for the first time
yesterday that Iraq has deadly binary nerve gas weapons, and he threatened
to use them on Israel if the Jewish state attacks Iraq.
Binary weapons, usually artillery shells or missile warheads, contain
two relatively safe compounds which combine to produce toxic nerve
gasses. They are outlawed under a 1925 treaty.
Iraq is already seen as a front-runner in a Middle East drive to develop
arsenals of long-range and surface-to surface missiles. Its development of
chemical weapons, and possibly nuclear arms, has raised fears of an arms
race in the volatile region.
In Israel, government officials warned yesterday that Israel would
retaliate if Hussein used chemical weapons against it.
The U.S. state department denounced Hussein's chemical weapons
threat as "inflammatory, irresponsible and outrageous."
Prisoners pay for stay in jail
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Federal judges across the country increasingly
are ordering criminals not only to pay the time for their crime but to pay
the cost of their prison stay.
From Jan. 19, 1989, through the end of October, federal judges
ordered 254 defendants to pay a monthly fee during their prison sentence,
according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in Washington, D.C.
' "We see this as merely an equitable and common sense thing to do,"
said Judge William Wilkins Jr. of the fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
in Richmond, Va., chair of the seven member commission.
Some civil libertarians, however, are objecting. They say the inmates
aren't getting their money's worth because of overcrowded prison condi-
tions.
But judges must use discretion; only those who can afford the
monthly payment of $1,210.05, plus $91.66 a month during probation,
can be ordered to pay.
Over 100 British prisoners riot
MANCHESTER, England - More than 100 inmates ran loose
yesterday in a prison devastated by riots, but guards regained control of
much of the prison and officials were in contact with the inmates still
inside, authorities said.
Some prisoners hung up a flag saying "No Dead," but the government
said deaths could not be ruled out in one of Britain's worst prison riots.
Authorities said 37 inmates and 12 prison guards had been injured
since the riots began Sunday at the Strangeways prison, one of the most
crowded jails in Britain. News media reported unconfirmed accounts of up
to 12 deaths.
Prison staff regained control of four cell blocks and the kitchen
yesterday after scores of inmates surrendered. Rioters still held five blocks,
said the Home Office, which is in charge of prisons.
Supreme Court to decide if
punitive damages too high
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court said yesterday it will decide
whether skyrocketing punitive damage awards in personal-injury and other
cases can go so high they become unconstitutional.
In a case of enormous importance to American business and con-
sumers, the court agreed to hear arguments in an Alabama insurance-fraud
case that yielded a jury award of over $1 million.
The court must decide whether punitive damages aimed at punishing
wrongdoers and deterring similar misconduct may be so large in some
cases that they are fundamentally unfair. A ruling is expected sometime in
1991.
The court last year ruled that huge awards in civil lawsuits, often
millions of dollars, do not violate the Constitution's ban on excessive
fines. But the justices left open the possibility that such awards may be
so disproportionate to the actual harm suffered that they violate due
process rights.
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter
terms by students at the University of Michigan. Subscription rates: for fall and winter (2 semesters)
$28.00 in-town and $39 out-of-town, for fall only $18.00 in-town and $22.00 out-of-town.
The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and the Student News Service.
ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.
PHONE NUMBERS: News (313) 764-0552, Opinion 747-2814, Arts 763-0379, Sports 747-3336, Cir-
culation 764-0558, Classified advertising 764-0557, Display advertising 764-0554, Billing 764-0550
0
0
Finlay laughed. I groaned. beautiful view erased my original
Beaton said learning to fly is apprehension. As we flew over
relatively inexpensive, "A Private downtown Ann Arbor at an altitude
Pilot Certificate will cost between of 2500 feet, I experienced the
$2,500 and $3,500 and takes about exhilarating feeling of literally
six months to get." Initial being on top of the world. Suddenly,
membership fees for the club I understood Finlay's addiction to
amount to $170. flying. As we soared above the
v
v
y
0
A student pilot must fly forty
hours, be at least seventeen years
campus, I realized that I was
already addicted.
0
This is one of the U of M flyers
fleet of seven airplanes. The club
will display a plane in the Diag
today and tomorrow.
KENNETH SMOLLER/DailyI
,
N n
Residence Hall Competition
Arts 'n' Crafts
Battle of the Bands
Casino
Carnival
Jazz Cafe
Tues-Friday:
Th, Fri, Sat:
Wed, Th, Sat:
Saturday.
Saturday:
Friday:
6pm-10
10am-6
8-Mid
7-Mid
7-Mid
8-Mid
For info
763-1107
DO YOU...
/specialize in word
processing
/run a test preparation
service
OR
/furnish resumes?
Advertise in
'Ube Eitb f an Sa ily
Classifieds
Call 764-0557 NOW!!
9
MfARDIQ'RfS COMES TO ANN ARBOR.
ALL EVENTS IN THE UNION
EDITORIAL STAFF:
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
News Editors
Opinion Page Editor
Asocat. Editors
Weekend Editors
Noah Finkel
Kstne Lalonde
Karen Akedol, Marion Davis,
Tara Guzen, Vera Songwe
David Schwartz
I. Mathew Miller, Laura Sankey
Miguel Cruz,
Kevin Woodson
SportstEditor
Associate Sports Editors
The University of Michigan
Arts Editors
Books
Rim
Music
Mike Gill
Save Cohen, Andy Gottesman,
David Hyman, Eric Lemont
Taylor Lincoln
Alyssa Katz, Krisin Palm
Carolyn Poor
Jon Gelk.Bent Edwards
Forrest Green Ii
Men's Glee Club
c CL Jerry Blackstone, Director
Sp Concent
rit1 f
appeain
Te Friar .,
r
I
I
I
m
ott
Photo Editors Jose Juarez, David Lubliner " Ir wayr't
List Editor Todd Dale
News: Geri Alumit Josephine Balenger, Joanna Broder, Diane Cook, Heather Fee, Juie Fosler, Cathy Fugate,Ian Hoffman, Mark
Katz, Christine l =oostra, Ru=Litmarn, Josh Miick, Dan Poux Gil Renberg, Bruce Shapiro, Mike Sobel, Michael Sulivan Noele
Vance, Elisabehn Weinstein, Dona woodweli.
Opinion: Mark Buchan, Yael Ciro, Ian Gray, Leslie Heilbrunn, Stephen Henderson, Aaron Robinson, Tony Siber, David Sood.
Sport Adam Benson, Eric Berkman, Michael Bess, Andy Brown, Theodore Cox, Doug Donadson,Jeri Durst, Richard Eisen, Jared
Entin, Scott Erskine, Phil Green, Ton Kent, Albert Lin, John Niyo, Sarah Osburn, Matt Rennie, Jonathan Samnick, David Sdhecter,
Ryan Schreiber, Jeff Sheran, Dan Zoch.
Arts: Greg Balse, Sherril L Bennet, Mark Binelli, Kenneti Chow, Lynne Cohn, Beth Codqu, Sharon Grimberg, Brian Jarvinen, Scott
Kirkwood, Mks Kuriavsky, Amni Mehta, Mike Moitor, Annette Petrusso, Jay Pinka, Antonio Roque, Ilyss Schanz, Wendy Shanker,
Peter Shapiro, Rona Sheramy, Mark Swartz, Jusne Unatin, Philip Washington, Mark Webster, Kim Yaged, Nabeel Zubedi.
Photo: Jennifer Dunetz, Amy Feldman, Julie Hdflman, Jonathan Uss, Josh Moore, Samantha Sanders, Kenneth Smdiler, Steven
Szuch.
per hour Mac Rental
Well take $2 off per hour of our regular rental
I
I
I
I
a