Paramus Sunrise Rotary Club Goes Flying

Flying Lesson Instead of their regular meeting at Doctors Express, the Paramus Sunrise Rotary Club went flying at Bergen Community College. Professor William Klappert, the Aviation Director, explained the theory of flight and allowed several of the members to fly a simulator into which he programmed a B-2 Stealth Bomber, a Boeing 747, a Lockheed F-22 and a Cessna 172. Non-pilots, they did fairly well, but did manage to crash most of them, or as one would-be pilot did, went through a hangar and a barn. Thankfully, it was all simulated on a computer screen so there was no collateral damage.

Professor Klappert discussed the MH 370 Malaysian aircraft disappearance and stressed the safety factors built into the plane by the manufacturer. It seemed impossible to him to have all the failures that have been discussed by the media. It appears that there are backup systems built into the plane should something fail. While one cannot get out of the plane and walk over to an outside malfunction, there are remote devices designed to cope with most emergencies.

Mentioned was the breathing system, the air mask that drops down should a cabin lose compression. These have a rating of 15 minutes and an adult should put theirs on first before attending to a child or infant. The pilot's cabin has a separate system that lasts longer. This thwarts their passing out before they can bring the plane down to a safer altitude. A seasoned pilot himself, Klappert flew many different styles of planes before settling down to the teaching life. One thing is for sure, Bill Klappert has not lost his love of aviation, something that comes across when he chats with his audience.

Students taking his course can earn an Associate in Science degree. They will do so under an impassioned professional pilot who has flown state of the art planes for many Fortune 500 companies. Bill Klappert has also flown many of Hollywood's stars. He has quite a few stories to tell about these encounters.

Anyone interested in the course access www.bergen.edu/aviation The Facebook page is: www.facebook.com/BCCWingsClub To contact Professor Bill Klappert wklappert@bergen.edu or 973 908 1295. Bill is active in youth meetings and has a Boy Scout Explorer Post that meets at BCC.