8A NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ORGANIZATIONS
TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2008
Flying club seeks to make its flights more affordable
BY JENNIFER TORLINE jtorline@kansan.com
Victor Jara-Olivares walks up to a 2005 Cessna C-172S at the Lawrence Municipal Airport. It is perfect flying weather - sunny, with light and constant wind - and he is getting ready for an evening flight over Lawrence.
He spends 10 minutes carefully inspecting the wings and exterior of the small, four-seater airplane before going inside and checking the instruments and flying controls. He must conduct this Federal Aviation Administration required pre-flight check before heading to the sky.
Fifteen minutes later, Jara-Olivares, a Vina Del Mar, Chile, graduate student, is in the pilot's seat at the end of the runway, ready to take off. He speeds up and charges across the runway before taking flight. Within minutes, he reaches 3,000 feet and is flying over the University of Kansas. He
flies over familiar Lawrence sights. such as Massachusetts Streets and Clinton Lake.
"It's so beautiful," Jara-Ollives said. "It's the sensation of freedom, peace and the ability to contemplate how beautiful our planet is."
Flying has been Jara-Olivares' passion for eight years, ever since he was a flight test engineer for
the Chilean Navy. When he came to the University to earn his doctorate in electrical engineering, he flew by himself for two years. When he could not find a flying club at the
replied, and we got started."
In October, the group began discussing the organization and setup of the club. Their main goal was to encourage aviation interest in the community. They also wanted to provide students with an opportunity to fly at a cheaper rate and help students wanting to become pilots obtain their pilot's license at
"The only one who flies cheaper than us is the owner of the plane."
Victor Jara-Olivares, president and founder of the KU Students Flying Club, goes through general safety checks and inspections before keeoff. Jara-Olivares is hope is that with the ownership of its own plane, the club will be able to opvile cost-flow student pilots.
a lower cost.
University, he decided to start the KU Students Flying Club last summer.
Alex Bonham-Carter/KANSAN
"I sent an e-mail to friends brainstorming the idea," Jara-Olivares said. "A lot of people
VICTOR JARA-OLIVARES KU Students Flying Club founder
Th i s semester, Jara-Olivares and the members of the Flying Club were able to secure special flying rates for members of the club. The club committed to flying at least 20 hours a month at the Lawrence Municipal Airport, and in exchange, members of the club pay $94 per hour to rent the plane. The regular hourly rental fee is $107.
Alex Bonham-Carter/KANSAN
Victor Jara-Olivares stands in front of the Cessa single engine plane used by the club members. The goal of the KU Students Flying Club is to encourage aviation interest in the community. Through donations the club wants to buy its own plane to further reduce the cost of fiving.
"The only one who flies cheaper than us is the owner of the plane," Jara-Olivares said.
To become a member of the club, a person must prove that they have a direct connection with the University. This includes fulltime students, professors, staff, alumni and families of those associated with the University. Members must pay a $50 entry fee and a $10 monthly fee.
The club consists of 18 students and two staff mem-
of Transportation organized the air tour, which was a flight across the state. The Flying Club flew with the tour from Atchison to Lawrence.
"When everyone landed, there was an airplane show so that peo-
"I'd like to see the club grow in membership and get its own plane so we can even further reduce the cost of flying and help more people become pilots."
bers. Members normally meet once a month, either on campus or at the Lawrence Municipal Airport.
VICTOR JARA-OLIVARES KU Students Flying Club founder
Members of the club participate in aerial events throughout the state. The club participated in the All Kansas Air Tour on April 5. The Kansas Department
ple see the airplanes up close," Jara-Olivares said.
Currently, the club is trying to raise money to buy its own plane, ideally within six months, Jara-Olivares said. The club wants to buy an older
plane, such as a 1985 Cessna C-172S, which would cost around $60,000.
"I'd like to see the club grow in membership and get its own plane so we can even further reduce the cost of flying and help more people become pilots," said William Blake, Olathe graduate student and vice
president of the club.
The members are seeking donations for the plane, but they are also looking into selling concessions at football games to raise more money.
"Right now, everyone is paying with their own money," Jara-Olivares said. "We are not going to make business with this. We are a nonprofit organization."
The process of getting a Private Pilot License can cost $5,000. The FAA requires a person to have a minimum of 40 hours of flying time before a person can become a certified pilot. A pilot-in-training has to pay an hourly rate for each of those 40 hours and also pay an instructor fee. The prospective pilot must also attend ground school and take a test. The expenses add up.
"How much I fly is directly connected with my wallet," lara-Olivares said. "It's a really expensive hobby, and it's hard to engage students."
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"It's an opportunity that I never seriously considered up until this point," Smith said. "I think it's neat that Victor has a lot of passion for flying and he's really put it all behind us."
In addition to flying practice, a person must also study theory to become a pilot. To prepare for the pilot's test, a person can pay for formal classes with an instructor, or can study themselves. This summer, Jara-Olivares is going to provide guidance for those who decided to use the self-study method.
For more information on the KU Students Flying Club, e-mail Jara-Olivares at jarafc@ku.edu or visit http://groups.ku.edu/~kusfc.
The University of Kansas
- Edited by Nick Mangiaracina
Logan Smith, a Lawrence graduate student and member of the club plans to start the process of getting a license this summer. He said financial reasons had previously prevented him from obtaining a license.
"I will be saving you money because you will spend less time with the instructor," Jara-Olivares said.