By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

Local residents looking to learn some of the basics of aircraft and flying will have a chance to do so during a multi-session introduction to flying class hosted by a local pilot.

The intro to flying class will be held from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on June 8, June 15, June 22 and June 29 in a private hangar at the airport off Interstate 65 near the Alabaster-Calera line.

The course will cover the following topics:

-Parts of an airplane

-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 cost of the four-week program is $45, and includes many handouts, according to the event’s organizer, Johnny Ward, a commercial pilot who has logged more than 3,500 hours of flying time.

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.