For Immediate Release 

Date:                     March 20, 2000                             

 Contact:               Scott Langa 

                                Langa Air, Inc.

Subject:                               Astronaut Visits Langa Air Academy

Recently, Astronaut Kenneth D. Bowersox, Captain, United States Navy, visited Langa Air Academy when he flew into St. Louis Regional Airport in his training aircraft, a military jet T-38. 

Captain Bowersox spoke with a group of Langa Air Academy flight students and instructors

during his stay.  He even rented one of Langa’s flight school aircraft for a quick trip to Missouri.  “It was kind of ironic,” said Scott Langa, Vice President of Langa Air Academy, “as part of renting the aircraft, pilots have to get a check out from one of our instructors.  This is true even if you are an astronaut, so Jeff Baalman, one of our instructors flew with Captain Bowersox to check out his flying skills.”  “He did OK.” laughed Jeff Baalman.

Captain Bowersox grew up in Bedford Indiana and attended the Naval Academy.  He was selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in 1987 and has been on four missions logging over 50 days in space.   He is currently training as back-up to the first International Space Station crew, targeted for launch sometime this year.  He flew as the pilot on the Space Shuttle in 1992 and 1993 and was the spacecraft commander on missions in 1995 and 1997.

Captain Bowersox flew to St. Louis Regional Airport during a training flight.  “ We have a requirement to stay current and fly every so often, so I decided to take a trip into St. Louis.  The folks at Langa were great by letting me rent one of their aircraft so that I could go see a friend of mine in Missouri.  It beat renting a car.”

“We were very honored to have an individual with Captain Bowersox’s credentials come to our business.”  Said Scott Langa.  “ It is not everyday that you meet someone that has been in space four times.”

Langa Air Academy is a professional flight school based at St. Louis Regional Airport.  They train recreational to professional goal-oriented pilots and offer a unique financing program where individuals can earn their private pilot’s license for an investment of only $50 per month.   For more information you can call 258-1005 or look at their web site at www.