Yes, I do admit to being a total geek and regular Flight Simulator. Today's capability with the software, multiple large monitors, flight yokes, rudder pedals and even switch boxes/displays that look and act like real panels makes the experience nearly real.

I am, however, very impressed with this simulator even in its crude form. It has the stick (up and down, dive left and dive right) and the foot pedals (push left nose left or push right nose right) and it appears that they have the plane model on top connected to actually move and represent these actions if you were flying. I also assume the handle on the panel represents the throttle. With some time practicing in this simulator, a future pilot could begin to understand what it will take to actually fly a plane as well as feel more comfortable with the concepts of flying.

(Weequahic - pronounced wih-QWAY-ik, though many locals say WEEK-wake)

Roth himself attended Weequahic.

Philip Roth's fictional character Alexander Portnoy went to Weequahic High School. It didn't occur to me that it was a real place.

It's even harder to believe that this cheer isn't Roth's invention:

White bread; Rye bread; Pumpernickel; Challah;
All those for Weequahic stand up and holler!

If anyone is curious about Weequahic, it was designed by an architect I have been researching. Some hilights of the school from a tour I took a number of years ago: http://jamesbetelle.com/2008/08/20/two-streets-and-a-school/

FYI, many schools built in the 1930s had dedicated airplane shops. Here's one from the Essex County Boys Vocational School in Bloomfield NJ:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweintraub/3579697571/in/set-72157618940334...