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. 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