Source: Nathan Gorrell, 785-819-5375, caulk@k-state.edu
Photos available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-6415.
News release prepared by: Abigail Crouse, 785-826-2642, acrouse@sal.ksu.edu
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
K-STATE AT SALINA STUDENT TO REPRESENT UNIVERSITY IN THE ALL KANSAS AIR TOUR
SALINA -- Kansas State University at Salina's Nathan Gorrell, senior in professional pilot and aviation maintenance, Centerville, is representing K-State in the All Kansas Air Tour, April 2-7.
This year's tour celebrates the 80th anniversary of the original event. Kansas Gov. Ben Paulen launched the first tour, which had 25 aircraft, in 1928.
"Back then, we had only been flying planes for 25 years and the governor wanted to showcase the future of aviation in Kansas," Gorrell said. "This air tour aims to reiterate the importance of general aviation in the state."
Gorrell will be flying a Cessna 172 from the K-State fleet, and is participating with help from a scholarship from the Kansas Department of Transportation's Aviation Division.
"There is no way to do the All Kansas Air Tour without a plane from K-State, so I decided to participate," Gorrell said.
"It is a great example of student initiative," said Kurt Barnhart, head of the department of aviation at K-State at Salina. "Nathan approached KDOT to get the funding, planned a budget, and is taking a week out of school to fly."
K-State at Salina will host a stop on the tour Friday, April 4. Aircraft will begin to arrive at 8 a.m., and the public is welcome to attend a "show-and-tell" session from 8-10 a.m. with the pilots and their aircraft. Tours of the campus also will be available.
After the public session, pilots will enjoy a private brunch sponsored by the Salina Airport Authority. Featured speaker will be Col. George Boyd, a Tuskegee airman recently honored with a Congressional Gold Medal.
In addition to Salina, more than 25 Kansas communities are participating in the tour. The stops will take participants across all four corners of the state, and will offer a variety of special programs and speakers showcasing local points of pride.
As part of the Kansas Department of Transportation Scholarship he received, Gorrell will give presentations at several schools in communities on the tour. He will teach students about Kansas aviation history and share his experiences.
"I will be able to see the rebuilding of the town of Greensburg, the chalk badlands and the Wildcat Canyons, all from an aerial perspective," Gorrell said. "For an aviation enthusiast like me, this tour provides a view of Kansas that very few will ever see."