WATERLOO -- For $59 and a bit of bravery, Tim Newton will let you take the controls of an airplane.

He or another instructor will be right beside you, of course, gently correcting novice mistakes with his own set of steering equipment.

But the staff at Livingston Aviation in Waterloo, which includes general manager Newton, want those interested in flying to gain confidence by doing it.

"When you're flying on an airliner, you're looking out that tiny window," said Newton, who also trains helicopter pilots.

Passengers are markedly different from drivers, said instructor and line manager Kent Gibson.

"Once they (fly) solo, it changes them," Gibson said.

For years, Livingston Aviation and other smaller airports in the Cedar Valley have been giving introductory flights to those interested in flying. Now, they're bolstered by the efforts of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which recently launched its Let's Go Flying initiative to bring awareness to the steps involved in obtaining a pilot's license.

An Iowa Department of Transportation report released Monday indicated the aviation industry brings in $5.4 billion to the state and supports 47,000 jobs.

Newton said about one new person each week walks into Livingston Aviation to take an introductory flight. Of those, he said three-fourths come back for more lessons.

"It's like a mini-lesson," he said of the introductory flight. "It introduces them to the aircraft to see if it fits."

Darius Robinson, a graduate student at the University of Northern Iowa, has logged 20 hours of flight time toward a 40-hour private pilot's license. He became interested in flying while working as an aircraft technician in the U.S. Navy and eventually wants to get his commercial pilot's license.

"I've got a list of people that, as soon as I get my private pilot's license, they want me to take them up," Robinson said. "For them, it's quick transportation. For me, it's racking up hours toward other certifications."

Dave Bahr of Cedar Falls, at 150 hours, already is a licensed private pilot but is working up to more advanced licenses that include flying with visibility restrictions.

"Even when you're a student, you're going to be flying the plane 98 percent of the time," Bahr said. "It's pretty hands-on right from the get-go. I've never talked to anybody who's learned to fly and regretted doing it."

Those old enough to drive a car by themselves are old enough to fly a plane solo as well. Zack Hilmer, a sophomore at Denver High School, wants to eventually do "bush flying," flying planes into remote areas.

"It takes someone real dedicated, who can multitask very well," he said.

A love of flying helps, too.

"I think the flying part comes easy," said Gibson. "For (Newton and me), that's why we always end up back in it."