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By Patrick Cloonan, McKeesport Daily News

"Three! Two! One!"

That countdown happened 25 times Thursday as fifth-graders from McKeesport Area's Centennial Elementary School launched the rockets they built during a five-day course at the Navy Operational Support Center Pittsburgh in North Versailles Township.

"Let's have the loudest (cheer) of the day, "instructor Erin K. Bick of North Huntingdon Township exhorted the students.

However, after that the next rocket didn't fire.

"Time out," Bick said "You guys got to be louder next time."

The youngsters also known as "Class Quebec," were among the latest students in the STARBASE-Atlantis program now conducted by the Department of Defense at more than 60 locations in 34 states.

"We're the only Navy site that is on a reserve base," said Ken C. Mechling Jr., director of the program that locally involves 12 public, parochial and charter schools. "All other STARBASE-Atlantis academies are on major bases."

"It goes directly with our math and science curriculum," said Centennial teacher Beth Gumbert, who watched her third STARBASE class graduate Thursday.

As Mechling pointed out, "it's hands-on learning with no books."

NOSC Pittsburgh gets plenty of response for its STARBASE-Atlantis program.  Mechling said it is supposed to conduct only 28 classes but is booked for 37 this year.

"The class is free (to the school district), Mechling said.  "We have terrific parental support."

He recalled Penn Hills School District pulling out of the program, only to reverse that decision after parents complained at a school board meeting.

Students involved in the program get a new name for the week a call sign such as the sort a pilot might have.  Some of the call signs included Joker, Tinker, Bell, Hurricane, Finny Fish, Dry Bones and Sizzle.

"The kids chose the names themselves," Mechling said.

There also were call signs for the instructors Black Diamond (Bick) and Iceman (Steven B. Monteleone of Butler).

Parachutes allowed the youngsters to catch the rockets as they descended in the Naval Reserve center's parking lot.

"It stinks," one student said as she recovered her rocket. "Smell this."

It was a sulfur odor.  The rockets can be reused if the youngsters get new engines at a local hobby shop.

"You built it, you flew it, so you earned," Mechling said.

The classes also included time in a flight simulator and a lot of pictures.

At Thursday's graduation some of those pictures were shown amid a ceremony with a color guard and the presentation of aviator's wings.

"It's very much like the set of wings you would get passing pilot training," Mechling said.

Mechling, "Black Diamond" and "Iceman" were joined by NOSC Pittsburgh Commander Timothy Flecker in handing out the wings.

The students were also allowed to take home the red T-shirts that were their uniforms for their week in STARBASE-Atlantis.