MURFREESBORO — Middle
Tennessee State University senior Collin McDonald of Carthage, Tennessee, left
Murfreesboro May 19 to begin a monthlong adventure that eventually will take
him on a cross-country journey that follows that of aviation pioneer Cal
Rodgers more than 100 years ago.
McDonald, 22, who is a 4.0 student majoring in aerospace
maintenance management and an Honors College Buchanan Fellow, plans to take 30
days to complete the flight he is calling “Vin Fiz2” because Rodgers' plane was
called The Vin Fiz after a grape soft drink. McDonald anticipates at least 100
stops along the way.
To view video of McDonald’s departure from Murfreesboro
Airport, visit https://youtu.be/cem7_7_n65o.
Rodgers made the first transcontinental airplane flight
across the United States, beginning Sept. 11, 1911, and ending Nov. 5. He
reportedly had a number of scheduled stops and those that included accidents.
He became an instant national celebrity, but died in a plane crash several months
later during an exhibition in California.
“I am retracing his route from New York to Long Beach
(California) via Chicago and Dallas,” McDonald said. “The whole purpose of the
trip is to get more young people and adults alike — but especially the next
generation — involved with general aviation.”
McDonald, who also is making the trip for an Honors thesis
project, said general aviation in young adults “has significantly declined in
the last 20 years, and what that’s going to cause in the future is a massive
pilot shortage as well as additional funding required to sponsor FAA (Federal
Aviation Administration) and general aviation programs.”
Before heading to New York to start the transcontinental
flight next week from Long Island, New York, two of his first stops will
include Beaufort, North Carolina, Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, for an
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association fly-in at Michael J. Smith Field and
then on to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, site of the aviation pioneers’ Orville
and Wilbur Wright’s first flight in 1903.
The family-owned airplane he is flying on the trip is a 1995
Maule MX-7-160. It is one year younger than him. It is nicknamed “Molly” and is
a four-passenger plane.
McDonald plans
daily updates on Facebook (Vin Fiz Flight) and blogging daily or every other
day on VinFizflight.wordpress.com.
He will fly an
average of six hours a day.
The MTSU student is funding this through aerospace and
Honors College scholarship awards, a GoFundMe account and through a recent sale
of commemorative T-shirts.
This fall, there
will be three McDonalds attending MTSU on Buchanan Fellowships (scholarships).
Collin and fellow senior Connor McDonald, the 2016-17 Student Government
Association vice president, came together in 2013; sister Delanie McDonald will
be a freshman this fall. This marks the first time that three members of the
same family are enrolled at MTSU with Buchanan awards — the highest academic
scholarship at the university.
They were
homeschooled by their mother, Lorrie McDonald.
Honors College
Dean John Vile and members of his staff, aerospace maintenance management
faculty member Bill Allen, 2016-17 Student Government Association President
Madison Tracy and McDonald’s parents were among those helping to see him off
May 19.
###
Note: For those
who would like to schedule an interview with McDonald during his journey,
please call Randy Weiler at 615-785-1196.
No comments:
Post a Comment