WOODCREST — The kids at “Drone Camp” at St. Matthew parish may have thought Bishop Koenig was surprising them with a visit Aug. 17 to join the fun.
But they turned the tables of surprises when they presented a cake to celebrate the bishop’s 67th birthday.
Boys and girls were not just buzzing the flying objects and otherwise learning on the fly.
They watched as Bishop Koenig joined in on one of two weeklong camps held at the parish this summer.
The first session may have been the hottest week of the summer, but for a few dozen youngsters, the experience was quite cool.
Forty-five boys and girls between the ages of 7 through their mid-teens attended the first drone camp at St. Matthew’s Church in the Woodcrest section of Wilmington. A similar number joined the second camp. Kids learned the rules of drone flight, participated in team drone races and spent time in a flight simulator flying different types of aircraft. Some donned virtual reality headsets, which offered even more flight-related activities.
Both groups traveled to Dover to visit the Air Mobility Command at Dover Air Force Base.
“Turns out our flight simulator is better than their flight simulator,” said Father Michael Darcy, the pastor of St. Matthew’s and nearby Corpus Christi parishes.
The simulator, which is housed in one of the rooms of the former parish school, was a joint effort between parish maintenance man Joe Walls and Lt. Joe Fassano, a resident of the diocese who is entering the Air Force.
Father Darcy ran a space camp in 2002 when he was stationed at Holy Cross in Dover. He thought that would be it, but after moving to St. Matthew’s and Corpus Christi six years ago, he decided to begin summer camps at St. Matthew’s in the school building. Three religious-education camps were already held this summer.
Judging from the enthusiasm among the youngsters, the drone camp was a big hit. Father Darcy certainly enjoyed himself.
“I’m a big kid,” he said.
