CALERA – Those interested in learning more about aviation will have a chance to do so in October during a program held at the Shelby County Airport called Introduction to Flying.

The Introduction to Flying course will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. on Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19 and Oct. 26. The classes are taught by Johnny Ward, a commercial pilot who has logged more than 3,500 hours of flying time. The cost of the four-week program is $45, and includes many handouts.

The course will cover the following topics:

-Parts of an airplane
-Airplane controls
-Flight line tour
-Aircraft instruments
-Aviation weather
-Aircraft maintenance
-What makes an aircraft fly
-Runway headings and markings
-Navigation and charts
-GPS and transponders
-Pilot license requirements

The course is an introductory program. Participants will not fly airplanes. At the end of the course, students 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 program, contact Ward at johnnyward1@yahoo.com or call Ward at 914-5984. The Shelby County Airport is not involved, so calls should not be placed to the Shelby County Airport regarding this event.