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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

Locals looking to learn the basics of flying will be able to do so during an upcoming three-week class hosted by an area commercial pilot at the Shelby County Airport.

The intro to flying class will be a three-week class taking place on Saturdays from September 12-26. Each class will last from 9 a.m. until noon and will be taught by local pilot Johnny Ward who has more than 3,500 hours of flying time.

The course will cover the following topics:

-Parts of an airplane

-Airplane controls

-What makes it fly

-Cockpit time

-Aircraft instruments

-Aviation weather

-Navigation and chart reading

-Flight line tour

-Aircraft maintenance

-GPS and transponders

-Pilot’s license requirements

-A review session

Each Saturday will feature four topics taught by Ward.

The cost of the three-week program is $50, and includes many handouts, according to event organizers.

The class is considered an introduction course and will run through the basics of flying to see if it’s something you are truly interested in moving forward.

At the end of the course, every student may be taken for a courtesy flight with Ward to get a real-world look at what they learned during the course.

Class sizes will be limited, advance registration is required and the course is open to those 13 and older.

To register for the class, contact Ward at johnnyward1@yahoo.com or call Ward at 914-5984. Calls should not be placed to the Shelby County Airport regarding this event.