Solo flight celebrates sweet 16
Michelle Stiebs celebrated her 16th birthday by flying solo.
"It was scary, but it was fun," she said of the approximately five minutes she was up in the air by herself.
The flight took place on May 1 at Waupaca Municipal Airport – Brunner Field.
"The reward is seeing her smile," said Pete Andersen, the fixed base operator at the airport and owner of Plane Guys Aviation,
Last November, Plane Guys Aviation offered Stiebs a scholarship for flight instruction.
About six months prior to that, Mayor Brian Smith appointed her the student representative on the city’s Airport Board.
"She would come to the meetings and hold herself so professionally," Andersen said. "She asked questions, had a good foundation and would watch planes and smile."
Stiebs’ mother, Sandy, works at the airport on Saturdays, and Andersen first asked her if she thought her daughter would be interested in learning how to fly an airplane.
The now 16-year-old Stiebs said, "One day, Mom asked if I wanted to go for an airplane ride."
After arriving at the local airport, Richard Merkley, a flight instructor for Plane Guys Aviation, began explaining everything about the plane to Stiebs.
"I remember thinking, ‘I just want to go for a ride,’" she said.
Merkley invited her to join him up front in the plane.
After he landed the airplane, they said to her, "We have something to show you."
That is when she learned of the scholarship offer.
"I didn’t know what to say," Stiebs said. "It was a big surprise. Right after that, I left for my first (behind-the-wheel) drive (in a car)."
And so, over the course of the winter, she began learning how to fly a plane, meeting weekly with Merkley for her lessons.
"She handles the plane excellently," Andersen said. "She was able to solo with the permission of her instructor. She can solo around the airport. She has a lot of instruction to do for the next year. On her 17th birthday, she will be able to get her license. FAA regulations are you have to be 17 to get your pilot’s license."
When her flight instruction began, he offered Stiebs the choice of learning on one of two airplanes – a Rans 57 tailwheel aircraft or an Allegro 2000 tri-gear.
She chose the Rans 57.
Andersen said it is the more difficult of the two aircrafts and that since she does not know the difference, it was better for her to learn on the tougher of the two.
"Very few pilots know how to fly that. She’s starting her pilot’s license with credentials most pilots never get," he said. "It’s quite an accomplishment to get a tailwind endorsement at any time. She did it right from the beginning."
When Stiebs went to the airport last week, she thought it would just be another lesson for her.
After checking the weather with Merkley, she learned what the real plan was.
First, Stiebs went up in the aircraft wth Merkley and did the pattern with him three or four times.
"We knew if he stepped out, she was going to do it," her mother said.
Stiebs was shaking and did the pattern she had practiced with her instructor, landing the aircraft perfectly.
Family members were on the ground when she landed.
Her father, Rick, is now talking about renewing his pilot’s license. Her older brother Jason is proud of her.
Stiebs’ mother has been watching the numerous flights her daughter has been making.
"It’s so neat," she said. "It makes me proud watching her."
For Stiebs, her favorite part about being up in the air is looking down at the scenery.
She plans to keep up with her sports license and may eventually get her private pilot’s license.
And, this wasn’t her only test in the last week.
On Monday, May 7, she took her driving test in Waupaca and passed.
After flying solo the previous week, the test in the car was a piece of cake.
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10 Comments for "Solo flight celebrates sweet 16"
Is anybody else wondering if it is (legal or) appropriate for a [u]voting[/u] member of a municipal board to accept such an expensive gift from a company whose business is overseen by the same board?
lastpercentile May 09, 2012 1:42 PM
We give back for everything God has given us and this is one of them. I refuse to let you make the saying "no good deed goes unpunished" true.
To the City of Waupaca, If I offended you i'm sorry.
I believe the youth of today should be seen and special things should happen for them. I believe in Waupaca, Community and youth.
Peter Andersen
Plane Guys Aviation LLC
Waupaca Municipal Airport
Managers
True name, true person, true feelings
Please lastpercentile get some professional help. You may find you live in one of the most beautiful places in the World. You might even find there is honest people living here. Now excuse me I think i have to vomit
planeguysaviation May 09, 2012 3:26 PM
I didn't say you had done anything wrong. In fact, unless you actually received something in return, then you have done nothing wrong.
Conversely, you attacked me.
[quote]You may find you live in one of the most beautiful places in the World.[/quote]
No, I've been there, and this ain't it.
lastpercentile May 09, 2012 3:38 PM
SylviaHerndon May 10, 2012 8:06 AM
[u]2.16(1):[/u] ...there is hereby established a code of ethics for all City officials and employees, whether elected or appointed, [b]paid or unpaid, including members of boards[/b], committees and commissions of the City...
[u]2.16(6)(c)(3)(a):[/u] [b]No official or employee shall accept any gift, whether in the form of service, loan, thing or promise, from any person which [u]may tend to impair his/her independence of judgment[/u] [/b]or action in the performance of his or her duties or grant in the discharge of his or her duties any improper favor, service or thing of value.
[u]2.16(6)(c)(3)(b):[/u] Any official who receives, directly or indirectly, [b]any gift having an aggregate value of more than $50[/b] within any calendar year from any person who is known by said official or employee to be interested, directly or indirectly, in any manner whatsoever, in business dealings with the City upon which the official or employee has any influence or input or over which the official or employee has any jurisdiction, discretion or control, [b]shall disclose the nature and value of such gifts to the Ethics Committee by January 20 next following the year in which the gift or gifts are received[/b].
==================
I'm sure the City of Waupaca Ethics Committee has the required disclosure on file, dated prior to January 20, 2012. Just as I'm sure nobody in city government would try to manufacture such a disclosure at this late date. And, I'm sure the Ethics Committee has a written disposition of the disclosure.
It's not the kid's fault. Blame the idiots on the City Council who appointed a teenager to an official position without explaining all of the rules and consequences.
It will be interesting to see if the council includes this issue on the next agenda.
If the t-party wants to rein-in local government - here's an opportunity.
lastpercentile May 10, 2012 5:36 PM
In July 2011, during her first meeting on the Airport Board, a motion was made to recommend the extension of the city's contract with Plane Guy Aviation to manage the city airport. This request to extend the contract had these peculiarities: 1) the contract had been extended less than a year prior, 2) this request came from the contractor not the city, and 3) the request was to extend the contract for an extraordinarily long period: 8 years. Michelle Stiebs seconded the motion, and voted "Aye"; it was passed.
In August 2011, the City Council approved the contract extension until Dec 2019. According to city documents, this extension guaranteed Plane Guy Aviation over $550,000 in compensation – without competition, now or during the 8 years.
Peter Andersen requested this extension to "to add certainty to his employment". How is this justification for the city to enter into an 8-year, $550k, noncompetitive contract?
In Jan 2012, Peter Andersen reported during an official Airport Board meeting that one of its members, Michelle Stiebs, was receiving flight training – provided free of charge by his company, Plane Guy Aviation. None of the other board members took exception to this statement, and the board approved his report unanimously.
At the next City Council meeting, the entire council voted to approve the Airport Board's minutes – again, without exception to the expensive "gift" from a city contractor to a board member, who is tasked with overseeing his contract performance.
6 Airport Board members and 10 City Council members failed to recognize an egregious violation of the code of ethics. How many other violations occur...daily?
To what else are they blind?
lastpercentile May 11, 2012 7:09 PM
Does the Deputy City Clerk work for Plane Guy Aviation?
lastpercentile May 11, 2012 7:13 PM
I can't find a record of the City Council making the appointment, but apparently ThyssenKrupp Waupaca Foundry (TKWF) has its own member on the Airport Board. This person is unabashedly referred to in the minutes as the "Thyssen Krupp Waupaca Foundry Representative".
However, he is not just a "representative", he is a full voting member of the Board.
From the 5 Jan 2012 Airport Board Minutes: [the TKWF Rep] "stated that he was considering abstaining from the vote because the terms of the Minimum Standards document were above his pay grade and [b]he did not want to misrepresent Thyssen-Krupp Waupaca Foundry. He expressed concern over the new terms disallowing his company the possibility to sell their existing equipment in the future.[/b] "
It's clear that he is voting (not as an individual citizen, but) on behalf of TKWF - a small unit of a very large, foreign conglomerate. That is, [b]one of the votes on this local municipal board goes to a German company[/b] that could swallow the City of Waupaca without burping.
And, in fact, [b]he didn't abstain from the vote - which would have been the ethical thing to do. In fact, he voted "NAY"[/b]. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only "NAY" vote recorded by any member of the Airport Board in several years. No matter how ridiculous the motion, nobody votes against anything, it seems.
At its 17 Jan 2012 meeting, the City Council reviewed the Airport Board's recommendation and vote. In the discussion, the council is clearly comfortable with TKWF's representation on the Airport Board:
"Mr. Andersen explained that [the TKWF Rep] is a mechanic for ThyssenKrupp, and he felt it was above his pay grade to vote for a decision regarding the restricting of fuel sale at the airport."
What other corporations have a voting seat on City Boards?
lastpercentile May 14, 2012 2:44 PM
Was there really a lunar landing? Was there someone else on the grassy knoll?
Big Brother is watching!
clayhill May 16, 2012 5:43 PM
Do I care who operates the airport? No.
Do I think the mayor should have made the appointment of a city employee's daughter to a board where she will vote on issues that have a financial impact on her mother's other employer (and, on top of that, accepts a very expensive gift from the same person)? No, again.
Do I think this constitutes malfeasance in office? I think if he doesn't act IMMEDIATELY to correct the situation, then it's malfeasance in office.
lastpercentile May 16, 2012 10:33 PM