SUMMER

PROGRAMS 2025

SUMMER

PROGRAMS 2025

Summer School Flying at Randolph-Macon Academy

By Ryan Koch

During the summer flying session Ms. Abraham and I take two students at a time for flight lessons in the morning and afternoon. One student takes the controls for the first half of the flight block while the other students sits back seat to observe. Destinations are generally further from Front Royal, our home airport, due to the tandem training approach.

During the first week of training students will learn the preflight, taxiing, takeoff, climbing, turning, holding altitude, descending, and approach. Destinations will include Winchester, Luray, Martinsburg, Culpepper, Warrenton, and New Market.

The second week we will start going even further from Front Royal to places such as Hagerstown, Shenandoah, Orange, and Greater Cumberland. Students will work on slow flight, stalls, and begin emergency procedures.

By the third and fourth week we are starting to plan the long cross country that will end up taking an entire day. In the past students have flown to Kitty Hawk, Dayton, Ocean City MD and NJ, and even past New York City on the Hudson River corridor. The focus transitioning to landings and procedures needed for solo flight.

By the end of summer school, students should be almost ready to solo, which means fly the airplane without an instructor onboard! The focus of summer flying is on new destinations and fun rather than how fast can I solo.

Here is what students from last year are saying about the R-MA Summer School Flying…

“I was glad to have spent my summer flying with Randolph-Macon Academy's flight program. I learned a great amount of vital information about the basics of flying an airplane such as pre- flight, execution of takeoffs and landings, radio communication, and different types of aircraft maneuvers. My enjoyment of and education during the summer program influenced me to come back and attend Randolph-Macon Academy for the school year.”

-Sasha Matson

 

“Flying is one of the most challenging and rewarding learning experiences, especially when you are young.  I’ve always wanted to learn to fly and am so glad I came to Randolph-Macon Academy’s Summer Flight Program.  From the first day of class, we were flying in our Cessna 172 airplanes with our instructors for hands-on learning, as well as studying the fundamentals of flying at Ground School.  Every day was so exciting and I was able to make great friends.  At the end of the second summer, I had flown enough hours to be able to solo in the airplane.  Being able to solo was the culmination of hard work, perseverance and a terrific instructor, Mr. Ryan Koch.  His professionalism and thorough teaching allowed me to reach my goal.

I was also exposed to life at R-MA and have an appreciation for the great academics and athletics offered during the school year.  In the evenings of my first summer, I even had time to earn my Red Cross Lifeguard certificate, and I took the SAT Prep course during my second summer.   I can’t say enough wonderful things about learning to fly at R-MA.  I highly recommend it.  It will be an experience you’ll never forget!”

-Thomas Chandler

Please consider joining us this summer as we takeoff on a new adventure each day!

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