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K-STATE AT SALINA STUDENTS TO APPEAR BEFORE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Friday, March 11, 2005 SALINA – Kansas State University at Salina aviation students who played a key role in the success of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer mission have been invited to Topeka to appear before the Kansas legislative committee on higher education. The GlobalFlyer project, coordinated by Virgin Atlantic Airways and CEO Richard Branson, successfully completed a solo, non-stop flight around the world in early March. The plane launched and landed in Salina, and Mission Control was located on the college’s campus. Early in the project, Dennis Kuhlman, K-State at Salina dean, was approached by pilot Steve Fossett with the idea of involving a dozen aviation students in the project. A total of twelve students were selected, according to leadership, expertise and seniority. The aviation maintenance students worked on the ground crew of Scaled Composites, the California-based company that designed, built and maintained the aircraft. Selected pilot students assisted Fossett with weather tracking and flight planning prior to the mission, as well as working 24 hours a day in mission control during the flight. “We are so excited that K-State has had this opportunity to work with the GlobalFlyer project and team,” Kuhlman said. “I am simply amazed at the opportunities our students have had to work so closely with the incredible experts of Virgin Atlantic and Scaled Composites. The students’ contributions to this project and their work on behalf of K-State are something I take very great pride in.” Students traveling to Topeka are: Seth Short, senior in professional pilot, mission control, and Will Klein, senior in professional pilot and aviation maintenance, maintenance team, both of Burrton; Monica Chester, senior in professional pilot, Glade, mission control; and Nancy Milleret, junior in professional pilot, Linwood, mission control. From Salina: Mike Paul, freshman in aviation maintenance, maintenance team; James Reed, senior in aviation maintenance, maintenance team, and Aaron Grunden, senior in aviation maintenance, maintenance team both of Salina.
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