The Institute of Aviation is offering students from all areas of study the opportunity to soar over the Champaign area.

After receiving positive feedback after last semester’s first-ever “Fun Flights,” certified flight instructors will pilot three flights per hour this Saturday and again April 17.

Part-time flying instructor Luke Karcher said the flights are meant to show Champaign-Urbana in a new light.

“It is a half-hour flight. We take off from Champaign and go above campus by 1,000 feet. If passengers want to see something in specific, we can incorporate that into the flight,” Karcher said. “It’s open for half an hour of whatever they want to do.”

He added that students go up in a Piper Archer plane, which carries three to four passengers at a time. Students riding in the passenger seat of the aircraft can also manipulate the steering of the plane throughout the flight.

Yae hwon Kim, freshman in FAA, said she has interest in these flights.

“I think it’s cool because a lot of people at the University are from another country or area, and they don’t have the opportunity to see Champaign unless they have a car of their own. It’s a good opportunity to do so,” Kim said.

However, for some students, the sky is not the limit as much as their wallets are. At $65 per flight, students may not be willing to budget for sightseeing.

“The money could go to something a lot better. I would pay $100 to jump out of a plane at 30,000 feet. To pay $65 for 30 minutes at 1,000 feet, I say no,” said Frankie Dascola, sophomore in FAA.

Although financial burdens hinder some from partaking in “Fun Flights,” it is not an everyday expenditure. Last semester’s flights served as a treat for students, Archer said.

“Some girls gave these flights as a gift to their boyfriends,” he said. “The two of them got to fly up there together. They all seemed to have a great time.”

Archer said, for some, experiencing the ride or piloting a plane may spark interest in the field of aviation. However, because the airport is six miles away from the main campus, he said, a career in aviation can be out of sight and out of mind.

“We have a desire to spread the word about aviation throughout campus and to reach a broader student group,” Archer said. “But our main focus, just like the name says, is to make sure you’re having fun and having a good time.”