A soft breeze blows through the Coles County Memorial Airport as cadet members of the Civil Air Patrol practice landing Schweitzer 233 gliders.

There is a sound of engines from the glider’s tow planes, but not much else.

Tom O’Shea the cadets’ academy director said the airport is very quiet.

“That’s why we’re here,” he said. “Where else can you find a place with 5,000 feet of runways and there’s no one here?”

O’Shea said the airport sees plenty of traffic in and out and he does not mean to insult it.

“But it’s so safe,” he said.

The Civil Air Patrol is an auxiliary to the Air Force that focuses on cadet programs, aerospace education and emergency services.

The patrol offers a two-week cadet program each summer at the Coles County Memorial Airport. While participating in the program, cadets stay in residence halls at Eastern.

O’Shea said this summer will the patrol’s 46th year at Eastern and the community beds over backwards to accommodate them.

He said the university gives the cadet’s housing and dining and the airport is basically given over to the program as well.

While attending the program, the cadets are split into two groups. O’Shea said one group will attend ground school while the other spends time on the runway or in aircraft.

Throughout the day the groups will switch places.

O’Shea said the first week of the program has participants from throughout the state but the current week has students from across the nation.

He said over 33,000 cadets have participated in the overall program and each one has to pay a $1000 registration fee which does not include transportation.

The current week focuses on the cadets learning about gliders, practice landings and takeoff, and to develop enough confidence for a solo flight.

The gliders used in the program do no have an engine and are two-seaters for both the cadet and an instructor. O’Shea said each cadet gets around 17 flights while participating in the glider program.

In ground school O’Shea said cadets learn about weather as well as how the glider works and how its tow plane works with it.

He said the advantage of the glider is that students are able to practice flight earlier. The legal age for flying a glider is 14 while flying a powered airplane is 16.

Coral Stackpoole, a 14-year-old cadet from Michigan, said she has flown with her with her dad before but this past week was her first chance to fly in a glider.

“Giding is much more peaceful,” Stackpoole said. “It’s really quite and there’s less to worry about.”

Stackpoole said she plans to fly professional. She said she wants to get her private pilot’s license but has also been looking at positions as a fighter pilot.

“It’s something that I’ve always been interested in since I’ve been little,” Stackpoole said. “It’s an awesome experience

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].