PILOT'S DREAM IS TAKING OFF BY FINE-TUNING OTHER SENSES, DEAF STUDENT AVIATOR HOPES TO SEE STATUEOF LIBERTY EYE TO EYE IN HELICOPTER.

Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer

CAMARILLO - The whump-whump-whump of the helicopter rotor grows louder as it spins into action, but student pilot Peter Wolf can't hear it.

Instead, he senses the vibration of the blades - using his body to feel what others hear - something he has learned to do since being born deaf 55 years ago. After just six lessons, his body can distinguish minor changes in the engine's vibration - even detecting the sensation of a piece of loose tape on the leading edge of a rotor blade.

By fine-tuning his other senses, Wolf knows that he will someday fulfill his childhood dream of piloting a helicopter as it hovers eye to eye with the Statue of Liberty.

``I don't think flying has anything to do with being deaf,'' Wolf said in sign language as his wife, Margaret Wolf interpreted. ``There are 12,000 airports in the nation without control towers. And with today's technology, you can request landing through touch-type screens or with different colored lights.

``You don't need to hear,'' Wolf said.

Wolf, a photography director for a filming company, has been working with Dave Williams, an instructor at Sun-Air Aviation Inc., at the Camarillo Airport. He must log 40 hours of flight time, including 10 hours solo, in addition to 20 to 25 hours of ground school.

Margaret Wolf is taking classes right alongside her husband of two years, acting as his ears, voice and interpreter.

Williams usually takes Margaret up first to teach her that day's maneuvers. Back on the ground, she explains the steps in sign language to her husband, before he goes up with Williams for the same lesson.

Williams outlines their flight plan on a clipboard, or scribbles simple or abbreviated directions. Most of the time, he communicates with Wolf by pointing to dials and gauges or using hand signals the two have devised.

Elevating his left hand, palm up, means to go up, for example, while lowering his hand, palm down, means to descend. If Williams wants Wolf to accelerate, he points to the air speed indicator and makes a twirling motion with his finger.

Even though Williams said it's easier than he anticipated to communicate with Wolf, it helps having the couple there together.

``Their teamwork is impressive,'' Williams said. ``They're up to the challenge and so am I. I have a commitment to do whatever I can to help him realize his dream.

``There will obviously be a few obstacles, but we'll work around those because people need to pursue their dreams,'' Williams said.

Wolf's biggest challenge will be fulfilling the solo flight requirement because he is not allowed to fly alone in any controlled air space, where two-way radio communication is required.

Williams said he hopes to obtain a waiver from the airport to fly without radio communication and instead use ``light gun signals'' from the control tower. Under an accepted system, a steady green light gives the pilot clearance to land while a flashing red light means clearance is denied. Alternating red and green lights warn the pilot to use extreme caution.

If the waiver is denied, Williams plans to have Wolf fly solo in uncontrolled air space over the Santa Clara Riverbed.

Margaret Wolf has no doubt that her husband will be able to handle any problems that might arise during a solo flight.

``If he has to make a split-second decision, he'll be able to take care of it,'' she said. ``He's got fast reactions. And being deaf his eyes are so much sharper than ours. And he feels things more than we do.''

Wolf said he has lots of plans once he gets his license. Aside from his desired date with Lady Liberty, he also wants to fly over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and maybe land on a glacier in Alaska.

Wolf's inspiration, he said, is Calbraith Perry Rodgers a deaf man who, in 1911, became the first man to make a transcontinental United States flight. Rodgers also inspired Henry Kisor, a deaf man who was looking for a distraction from his long-time job as a book editor and decided to get his pilot's license and recreate Rodger's flight.

``Years ago many deaf people flew until the FAA was established,'' Wolf said during his third pilot's lesson. ``I hope one of these days that more deaf people will fly.''

Kirsti Dunn, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration, said there are 170 pilots in the United States who are prohibited, because of their various physical limitations, from flying in controlled air space.

``It doesn't surprise me to hear about this,'' Dunn said. ``There are some pilots who are legally blind in one eye. They just have to prove they can operate aircraft safely.

``The bottom line is that we need to ensure safe flights, but when people can pass the physical exams and can demonstrate their skill it's wonderful,'' Dunn said.

Wolf has learned takeoffs, landings and practiced the hover, one of the most difficult maneuvers to master.

Each time he goes up he feels a little more comfortable. And the view from above is just breathtaking, he said.

``Usually when you drive through neighborhoods you see the fronts of houses, but in the air you can see the world's back lot,'' he said. ``It's really beautiful.''

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:(1 -- color in Simi and Conejo edition) Deaf pilot Peter Wolf signs to his wife Margaret, right, before going on a helicopter lesson at Camarillo Airport.

(2 -- color in Simi and Conejo edition) Wolf, in seat closest to camera, flies over the Oxnard Plain with the help of instructor Dave Williams. They use hand signals to communicate.

(3 -- color in Simi and Conejo edition) Williams, left, goes over a pre- flight check with Wolf during a recent lesson with the Moorpark resident.

(4 -- Simi and Conejo edition only) Using sign language, Margaret Wolf interprets instructor Dave Williams' instructions for her husband Peter, who was born deaf. Wolf hopes to fulfill a childhood dream by piloting a helicopter over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer