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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 11, 1976)
Women now allowed to fly THE BATTALION Page 3 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1976 or a co, ' tests. I ( ‘Meoffl 'ents as. •sions. it BanT, »wers p|, n end to e 196S > they pi nucleai threshold :r. So ce it 1 that it i, it for In ft 2 of the F New breed of Air Force pilots take command By LEANN ROBY Battalion Staff Until now, Air Force (AF) women have been allowed only to ride in AF planes. But soon, in command of those roaring, howling engines of AF transports and trainers will be the first group of women pilots ever to be trained by the AF. Second Lt. Carol A. Scherer, an AF Institute of Technology student Meteorology at A&M, has been selected to be in the lirst AF pilot training class for women. Scherer, bne of eighteen girls chosen AF wide |to participate in the program, will be n the first class of nine women to legin Aug. 23. Twenty-two year old Scherer, vho says her normal mode of dress is cans, T-shirts, and tennis shoes, >aid that even though she has always anted to be a pilot, she hasn t al ways been interested in the military. tn > • • r .sjJ RDS JS . Center: I es for re IjJlfli axT,« ITION CE 19311| m WEDNESDAY A&M Wheelmen meet for a short ^informal bike ride at Rudder Foun- |tain, 6 p. m. Bridge Club meets MSC 228, 7 |p.m. THURSDAY Summer Classes end, final exams [begin. FRIDAY Final Exams, second session. Commencement, speaker Tom ID. Cherry, G.R. White Coliseum, 8 jp.m. SUNDAY Chess Committee meets, MSC |140, 6 p.m. TUESDAY Animal Science Symposium, key |note speaker Dr. Kunze, Rudder Tower 701, 1:30 p.m. City Council to consider gas rate rise | Consideration of an ordinance I raising gas rates paid by College Sta- |tion residents is the main topic on | the agenda for the city council meet- ling Thursday. The rate increase was first asked for last March by A. L. Bartley, local I; manager of Lone Star Gas Co. Bartley has said the proposed rates I would increase the average College s Station consumer’s bill by about 80 I cents. The council has also scheduled a public hearing on the question of re zoning a 10.3-acre tract on the east | side of the East Bypass approxi- 1 mutely 2500 feet south of the inter- | section of the East Bypass and Har vey Road. The request is to change from a single family residential to an ■ agricultural open district. The council will also discuss the drawing of boundaries for imple menting the ward system. Council- members were to have made ap pointments to a citizens committee which was to have drawn up the boundaries but a September 1 dead line for submitting the ward bound aries is near, leading to speculation by some council members that the council may have to draw up the lines. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers of city hall, 1101 Texas Avenue. Are your health insurance premiums too high? Interested in low-cost coverage? For an appointment call Jess Burditt III or Phil Gibson, CLU, 822-1550. Knowledge is your best Protection. / s '^ > Carl Bussells \/Diamond Room 3731 E. 29th Town & Country Center 846-4708 How long has it been since you’ve had a good fit? TOP DRAWER Culpepper Plaza When she began attending college at the University of Oregon, she said she never even considered the mili tary and had “sort of a closed mind about it.’’ Even after taking a series of career counseling tests which in dicated that her talents might be suitable for a military career, she said she still considered the military as a “last resort.’’ At the same time she was parachuting with the Jump Club at the University of Oregon where she became more interested in flying, but still was not interested in the military. She later saw an advertise ment in the school newspaper that said, “learn to fly with AFROTC” and then decided to give them a call. When she called, she found that not only could women not fly, but women couldn’t get scholarships either. AFROTC was only giving scholarships to pilots at that time, and women couldn’t become pilots. However, they did send her infor mation on the AFROTC program and told her that she could attend their summer camp with no obliga tion to join the program. Free trial, no obligation Upon reviewing the information sent to her, she decided that there is more to the military than she had previously realized. She said she felt that she owed it to herself to go to the camp and find out just what they had to offer. She attended the camp the summer before her junior year, after which she joined the two year AFROTC program. “The whole time I was in ROTC I kept asking if they would ever open up pilot training to women. She said that at the time, women were not permitted to fly because of a pub lic law that states females in the AF are not allowed to participate in any type of combat. "Until now,’’ she added, “the AF never differentiated between combat and non-combat pilots. But now that they have, women are now eligible to fly non combat planes. ’ She said that the first she heard about pilot training for women was when she read a newspaper article covering an AF General’s retirement speech in which he mentioned that the AF was considering opening pilot training up to women. She then “took the initiative’ and began to pursue the situation. Scherer was told that women must meet the same qualifications as men who apply for pilot training. Appli cants can be up to 27 Vz years of age, must have 20-20 vision, be 5 feet 4 inches in height and within a certain weight range, must have normal blood pressure and good physical health. Any type of physical defect would disqualify an applicant. Also, those applying must score well on a special test for pilots and navigators. She also found out that once an applicant has passed all the qualifica tions and applied, their application then goes through a series of chan nels and ends up at Randolph AFB (the Military Personnel Center) with the Selection Board for Pilots. 18 taken out of 56 “I figured that out of the 3,500 that qualified age-wise, one half of that would qualify physically, one half of that would want to be pilots and there would be around 500 appli cants,” Scherer said. “As it turned out, there were only 56 qualified ap plicants and they chose 18 of us.” Scherer said that the reason there were so few women that made appli cation was probably due to the fact that the AF only accepted applica tions from women on active duty' at that time. “If those of us chosen do well in the program,” she added, “and the AF thinks it’s a viable pro gram, they will probably accept people into military programs and put them into pilot programs right off.” Scherer has been at A&M for al most one year studying meteorology through one of the AF’s continuing education programs. In January, she joined the A&M Flying Club and has had her private pilot’s license since June. T decided that if I was going to try and be a pilot, that it would be good to have my pilot’s license. But I had always wanted to have that anyway,” she said. Scherer will finish her training at A&M Friday and will then report to Lackland AFB in San Antonio on Aug. 23 for the Flight Screening Program. She will be there for one month, in which she will learn to fly a plane similar to the Cessna 172, the plane she learned to fly with the A&M Flying Club. The girls will also receive “intense academic training” where they will be taught the basics about flight and aircraft performance. They must succeed at Lackland to go on to regu lar pilot training. On the 29th of September, the girls will report to William’s AFB in Arizona for their actual pilot’s train ing, where for one year they will learn to fly jets. Once they graduate from here and receive their wings, they will then be assigned to the spe cific plane they will be flying. “For the women,” Scherer said, “that means mainly transports and trainers.” After they have their wings, she added, they can go on to become instructors or trainers. “That’s what I want to do,” she said. In many cases, she said, after one has been a pilot for five or six years they are given rated supplement which means that they train for something other than being a pilot. So eventually, Scherer expects to re turn to her meteorology training and may someday become a weather offi cer. “But hopefully not for a while,” she said. Scherer said that she is beginning to get nervous about her pilot train ing — hut not nervous about flying, just about the social aspect. “I want to be a pilot, and I’m not scared about that, but I am scared from a social point of view. I’m just an aver age person; I’m not a publicity per son. I don’t really like to be under the spotlight that much either, and everyone is going to be watching us.” Scherer received a letter from the commander of the Air Training Command that said, “You will face many challenges next year, and win ning your wings will require special Romero's Beauty Supply Co. 3513 Texas Ave. 846-5949 Ridgecrest Shopping Center EARS PIERCED With the Ear Piercing Gun and 24 Carat Ear Studs, either silver or gold. Call for Appointment. CLASSIC OR CONTEMPORARY.. effort on your part. Many people will be interested in your progress, your problems, and your achievements, as your success will have a lasting impact on the AF.” He went on to say that, “We ll expect maximum ef fort from you.” Scherer said she thinks it’s great that the AF is letting women into pilot training. “For too long it’s been a male, macho type clique,” she added. She also said that she doesn’t think that it’s her achievement in particular, but an achievement in the AF for them to let women into pilot training. “I am part of the situa tion,” she added, “and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.” Embrey’s Jewelry We Specialize In Aggie Rings. Diamonds Set — Sizing — Reoxidizing — All types watch/jewelry Repair Aggie Charge Accounts 9-5:30 846-5816 846-1441 COLLEGE STATION edKen Foxfire...1-acre wooded homesites at in-town prices... that’s quite a lot. Foxfire will soon be one of the prestige neighborhoods in Brazos County. You can be a part of it now — even if your dream home is a few years away. Foxfire is 91 wooded homesites on 159 acres of land. It was conceived as an alternative to the hustle and the hassle of the in-town subdivision. Foxfire is a scenic enclave for a special kind of family who can come to terms with the natural environment. The home sites are large (1-3 acres). There is room to breathe, room to live life toits full, ‘ terrain is varied, the vegetation natural and lush. Gjp^^ugdria^peen&l^^to pr 100-year old oaks that will ^M^ta««6hadBBhe M>me^^ The amenities of Auntry s^TOr^sio class. There is^Hdj^^Kii^Hin All of the essential ^Rces And yet it is quiet and peaceful. The covenants that govern the use of Foxfire homesites are uniquely responsive to the lifestyle of the landowners. The prohibitions are limited: no mobile homes (or other temporary living structures), no open fires (or other activities that endanger the forest), no practices that abuse the rights of others. There is a minimum requirement for heated space (1800 square feet) but.no restriction on desigi^r exterior material. In brief, Foxfire’s deed restrictions araDLeaoJ^anMlM^W^p^woi^Kfreedom while protecting the Dy automobile. Major arteries (as well as the highway to to Foxfire. __ will be a pleasant surprise. You can own an acre of wooded in Foxfire for about the cost of a 100-foot lot in a city subdivision. The resale value of Foxfire property cannot be guaranteed but most buyers assume this property will never sell for less than it does today. Terms are available to buyers who qualify. Bring the family to Foxfire and see foryourself. Foxfire may be the place you have looked for to live fully and invest wisely. THE AMENITIES ■ Large homesites (1-3 acres) ■ Dense woods and vegetation (pristine may be the word) ■ City water service (individual house me ters) ■ Septic sanitary service (approved by Texas Health Code) ■ Cable television (Midwest Video Corpora tion) ■ Electric utilities (Bryan Utilities) ■ Regular refuse collection (independent contractors) ■ Telephone service (General Telephone) ■ Cul de sac streets (for maximum privacy and safety) ■ Neighborhood park (but no memberships, no dues) ■ Bridle path (ok for joggers, too) ■ Lighted street markers (built from natural materials) ■ Fire hydrants (for protection and insurance ratings) ■ Seal-coated streets (the same as Rosemary Drive) THE RESTRICTIONS ■ No mobile homes (or other temporary living structures) ■ Minimum home size (1800 square feet/ heated space) ■ No requirements on exterior materials (wood, brick, glass is ok) ■ Limitations on livestock (based upon lot size) ■ No redivision of a home site (one home per lot) ■ No activities that endanger the forest (or abuse the rights of neighbors) ■ No encroachments (50-foot street setback/25 feet from each property line) ■ No neighborhood association (no joining/ no fees) ■ No property taxes for the year 1976 THE COST ■ A one-acre tract in Foxfire sells for about the price of a 100-foot lot in a Bryan-College Station subdivision. ■ Terms are available for those who qualify. PHASE 2 Foxfire Phase 2 will include exactly the same amenities and will be governed by identical deed restrictions to Phase 1. No bond has been posted to guarantee com pletion of these improvements since, in some cases, work will be completed simultaneously with work on Phase 1. In other cases (par ticularly seal coating of streets) this work will be competed as winter weather permits. In every case, however, all improvements in Phase 2 will be complete prior to January 1, 1978. THE CREDITS ■ Land Use Planning: Vernon G. Henry AIP & Associates, Inc. ■ Consulting Engineers: Bryan Engineering & Surveying Corp. ■ Construction Supervision: Marcal, Inc. Commercial Constructors ■ Development Financing: First National Bank, Bryan ■ Consulting Architect: Timothy Keneipp AIA ■ Graphic Design/Advertising: Joe Buser & Associates Advertising/Public Relations ’ I ■ ik- / Texas A&M 1 University / JERSEY // gf 7 < Iv B J) BUSINESS by PASS /