The Salinas, California-based aviation nonprofit focuses on inspiring at-risk youth to  engage in STEM education. The program has a Cessna 152 and Redbird Flight Simulations FMX AATD, which allow students to pursue a private pilot certificate. 

• READ MORE: Paying It Forward

The program also offers students an opportunity at completing ground school utilizing the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) high school curriculum.

The foundation’s $1.5 million donation, which was funded by Tom Siebel, Craig McCaw, and David Leushchen, also includes operational support for the aircraft and guaranteed job interviews for program graduates with industry partners Cirrus, CubCrafters, and Game Composites.

• READ MORE: Bob Hoover Academy Gets Redbird Simulator

“This donation is about providing hope and tangible opportunities for a better future,” Siebel said in a statement. “Salinas is a city where many young people face daunting challenges daily. We are honored to support the Bob Hoover Academy led by impassioned aviator Sean D. Tucker. They are changing lives through the magic of aviation combined with a solid education.” 

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Questar III is a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) agency that provides instructional and support services to 22 public school districts in New York’s Rensselaer, Columbia, and Greene counties. Questar’s aviation program includes classroom curriculum and flight training to 11th and 12th grade students.

• READ MORE: Purdue Global, Pilotsmith Form Flight Training Partnership

Purdue Global is Purdue University’s online program for working adults who are seeking flexible paths to a range of university degrees.

The aviation program has partnered with authorized flight schools in the Albany, New York, area where students can begin their flight training. While enrolled, they can work toward earning their private pilot certificate and instrument rating. The program reduces training costs and gives students the advantage of experience when they graduate.

The program is offered at no cost to families and is one of only a few available to high school students across New York state. Nearby Purdue Global alliance partner Hewison Aviation will provide opportunities for students to continue their education after high school.

• READ MORE: Epic Flight Academy Partners with Purdue

Through the partnership, Questar graduates who are admitted and pursue a Purdue Global degree in professional flight or aviation management will receive eight college transfer credits for earning their private pilot certificate. Students who earn instrument ratings will receive an additional 15.5 transfer credits when they enroll.

Students who continue flight training while enrolled with Purdue Global will have the opportunity to receive up to 45 additional transfer credits with the completion of the FAA certificates and ratings, including private, instrument, commercial, multiengine, and CFI.

“We are thrilled to partner with Purdue Global on this initiative,” said Questar III BOCES district superintendent Gladys Cruz. “It provides a new pathway for our aviation graduates to continue their education with one of the most mature and prestigious collegiate aviation programs in the country—and accelerate towards their careers as professional pilots.”

Purdue Global’s professional flight degree program is a collaboration between Purdue Global and Purdue University’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology in West Lafayette, Indiana. It combines the quality of the university’s well-known aviation program with Purdue Global’s flexibility and affordability.

“We are pleased to join forces with Questar III BOCES through recognition of prior learning in both the professional flight and aviation management program,” said Sara Sander, Purdue Global vice president, dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and interim dean of the School of Aviation.

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Florida-based pilots Joseph Hurtuk, Ian Goldbaum, and Richard Golightly collaborated in the design of a specialty plate with the theme, “Support General Aviation.” Among their goals was highlighting the economic impact of aviation in the state, which ranks third in the U.S. for the total number of pilots, aircraft, and airports.  

The three pilots worked with Stacey Heaton, AOPA’s southern regional manager, to seek help from elected officials to promote the plate. State Representative Doug Bankson (R-District 39) and State Senator Gayle Harrell (R-District 83) played major roles in legislative efforts to gain House and Senate approval. The next stop for the plate is the governor’s desk, where it is expected to receive approval by the end of March, AOPA said.

“Special thanks go to representative Bankson and senator Harrell,” said Heaton. “The representative’s own passion for aviation and the senator’s recognition of our members’ passion for aviation made this effort possible.” 

After receiving the governor’s signature, the plate still has to go through a process to coordinate its distribution. Presales are set to begin October 1 with a requirement of 3,000 purchases before the state can begin turning out the plates for drivers. Proceeds from the sale of the specialty plates will go toward funding aviation education scholarships for Floridians, which will be managed through the Aerospace Center for Excellence in Lakeland, Florida.

The post Sales of Aviation License Plates to Begin in Florida Later This Year appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

There are many opportunities for applicants interested in experience in non-flight, aviation-related disciplines, from history research to communications and media. 

Some key details:

• Duration: 10 weeks, early June to early August
• Work format: Full-time, with on-site or hybrid options in the D.C. area
• Stipend: $7,000
• Application deadline: February 29

To qualify for an internship, applicants must be high school graduates enrolled in, or recently graduated from, a degree program at an accredited college or university. Strong academic records are expected, and international applications are welcome.

• READ MORE: Museum Spotlight: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

Some of the aviation-related internship projects include:

• Archival research: Military aviation
• Center for Earth and Planetary Studies: Distribution of geologic structures on Europa
• Center for Earth and Planetary Studies: Titan’s tectonic history
• Communications: Communications and social media
• Communications: Digital content and accessibility
• Education: Astronomy
• Education: S.H.E. Can STEAM Aviation Camp
• Education: Soar Together family programs
• Graphic design: Publications and marketing

For detailed project descriptions and application information, visit the museum’s website.

The post National Air and Space Museum’s Internship Program Accepting Applications appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Sometimes middle school teachers reach out to the local aviation community looking for pilots who would be willing to visit their class to do a short, age-appropriate presentation about flying.

You don’t have to be a fighter pilot or hold a type rating to do this—but you do have to be engaging. As this school year picks up again, FLYING reached out to educators across the country for tips for a successful outcome for a middle school talk. Although the teachers asked us not to use their names because their schools have specific guidelines about appearing on social media, they had a plethora of knowledge to share.

• READ MORE: Oklahoma Schools Celebrate Aviation-Focused STEM Curriculum

Step 1: Meet the teacher in advance and speak their language.

Before you say yes, ask the teacher what the class has been studying, and then determine how aviation can be applied to enhance their understanding of the topic. Often the teacher will offer a specific topic they would like you to discuss, like aerodynamics or weather, but many are open to suggestions. Your presentation needs to dovetail with what has already been taught.

“Keep in mind that most teachers are probably not pilots,” said Elizabeth Tennyson, chief operating officer for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which does extensive outreach work with STEM education that includes helping teachers develop a curriculum that is age-appropriate.

“Pilot guest speakers need to avoid the jargon and acronyms we use so often in aviation. Taking a moment to explain terms and providing a cheat sheet with acronyms or key concepts is helpful.”

One way to engage the teachers is to take them for a short flight in advance of the presentation. They may want to record the event and share the video with their class.

Step 2: Manage expectations.

On the day of the talk, give the teacher a short bio so they can introduce you to the class. Every teacher interviewed for this piece warned us that maturity runs the gamut at this age, so you need to expect short attention spans, lots of energy, students who are easily distracted and have low impulse control, and those who will crack jokes in an attempt to get attention. This can throw off the room, so be prepared. The teacher will probably have suggestions and methods for getting the class back on track.

Begin the talk with a short oral quiz—no more than three to five questions to establish the class interest level and determine its energy. Some examples: “Who here has flown in a small airplane?” “Can anyone tell me what the four forces of flight are?” “What generates lift?”

I am a big fan of the last question followed by a short demonstration of lift by blowing on a piece of paper (like you are blowing out candles on a birthday cake) and having the paper rise as your breath—the accelerated air molecules going over the paper not unlike the relative wind over an airfoil—creates lift.

Weather is a popular topic for presentation as it impacts everything—they have seen fog, rain, and ice (most likely), and you can share with them how weather forms and how pilots adapt to it.

Step 3: Present your talk.

Expect to talk for 10 to 15 minutes tops, and if you can, make it an illustrated lecture such as a PowerPoint or have props like sectionals, airfoils, models, or an E6-B flight computer to show and hold the students’ interest. 

“Don’t be afraid to use whatever tools you’ve got—pictures, simulations, simple experiments, or demonstrations and personal stories—to bring ideas to life,” said Tennyson. “Teachers are just like the rest of us—they learn better when they’re engaged—so make room for discussion and give-and-take rather than lecturing. 

Step 4: Do an activity.

Hands-on projects can be helpful for learning to take place, but they can also take a lot longer than anticipated, especially when the class is large. Keep it simple, teachers say, and always make sure you have cleared the activity with them, as some may not be appropriate. Several teachers warned us that making paper airplanes can lead to unplanned air-to-air combat.

Pro tip: It is often a good idea to have another pilot (or two depending on the size of the class) with you to assist in the project—for example, if you teach the class to use mechanical E6-Bs to answer time, speed, and distance questions as part of a VFR navigation log. I am particularly fond of this exercise, as I love the look on the kids’ faces when I unveil the giant E6-B and hand out a stack of the smaller ones for use. “If you hate story problems, you’ll love the E6-B,” I tell them, as when I was in middle school I thought story problems were cruel and unusual punishment. Having the directions for how to solve time, speed, and distance printed right on the instrument makes it so much easier.

Step 5: Answer questions.

The kids will have questions but also want to share their stories. Be prepared to tell them how to pursue specific careers in aviation, especially how much education they will need.

Step 6: Offer giveaways—maybe.

These can be tricky. Posters are cool, unless the student has housing insecurity. Balsa gliders or jacket fobs are often a better choice as they are portable. Often businesses have them as giveaways at trade shows. 

Step 7: What do you do after the presentation?

End the presentation by letting the kids know of age-appropriate aviation activities outside the school. For example, if there is a chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association around, let the students know about Young Eagles flights, or perhaps there is an Aviation Explorer Scout program in your area. For all you know, one of those kids may be so inspired by your talk that in a few years you run into them at the airport (where they work) or maybe even see them on the NASA TV channel. It could happen.

The post Bring Aviation to Middle Schools appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

How DonorsChoose.org Works

DonorsChoose.org, founded by a public high school teacher in New York in 2000, is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit. Since 2000, it has seen contributions of more than $1 billion to support some 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. The teachers post a wish list of sorts on the website.

DonorsChoose ensures the integrity of funding by vetting all requests, purchasing each item, and shipping materials directly to verified teachers. The items needed range from book bins and cleaning supplies for classrooms to three-dimensional models and funding for field trips to STEM-appropriate locations.

According to United, the donations will focus on classrooms in the airline’s seven hub markets: Hawaii, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Houston, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York.

The remaining funds will be used over the next few months during a matching campaign to finance more aviation and STEM-focused projects. If teachers in the selected cities are interested in submitting a project to be considered for funding, they can visit donorschoose.org/teachers.

“United Airlines is helping classrooms launch into the new school year, with resources that will help aviation and STEM students thrive,” said Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose. “Through this campaign, United Airlines is empowering youth who are tomorrow’s scientists, aviators, and engineers. This partnership will foster the beginnings of future careers.”

• READ MORE: Oklahoma Schools Celebrate Aviation-Focused STEM Curriculum

The hope is that the recipients of United Airlines’ support of STEM programs may grow up to work in the aerospace industry as engineers, pilots, maintenance technicians, or logistics personnel.

“Whether it’s using model planes to teach middle schoolers the dynamics of flight or taking a field trip to see how a simulator works, we’re proud to help teachers get the resources to inspire the next generation of aviators,” said Josh Earnest, United’s senior vice president and chief communications officer. “We’re proud to team up with DonorsChoose to support teachers who are doing incredible work and changing the lives of students around the country.”

The post United Donates $1.25 Million for School STEM Projects appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

A total of 22 Colorado students have been selected to receive 2023 WINGS’ flight training scholarships valued at either $8,000 or $12,000, based on their flight training experience, to pursue private pilot certification for single-engine airplanes.

The James C. Ray Foundation, a committed advocate for aviation education in Naples, Florida, provides the funding for these flight training scholarships, which WINGS disburses annually across Colorado. Over the past four years, WINGS has awarded 125 scholarships, amounting to $236,000, to aspiring pilots ages 15 to 18 who are eager to attain private pilot certification in gliders or single-engine airplanes. 

“Cultivating the next generation of private pilots is vital for the aviation industry’s continued success,” said John L. Barry, a retired Air Force major general who serves as president and CEO of WINGS. “We are honored to play a role in helping these dedicated and passionate students fulfill their aspirations. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the James C. Ray Foundation for enabling this scholarship program to benefit Colorado’s future aviators.”

READ MORE: Ray Foundation Propels New Pilots Into Aviation

The selection process for the WINGS flight training scholarship was rigorous, with more than 80 applications received. Each applicant underwent meticulous evaluation and interviews conducted by representatives from WINGS and its Captain Jeppesen Foundation. Upon selection, each scholarship recipient is assigned a mentor to provide guidance throughout their training journey, encompassing both flight hours and a comprehensive study regimen to facilitate their pilot certification.

To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must be Colorado residents and undertake their training through a state-based aviation business.

Editor’s Note: This story appeared originally on planeandpilotmag.com.

The post Colorado Students Soar with WINGS Over the Rockies Flight Training Scholarships appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

For the past five years, Sporty’s Pilot Shop of Batavia, Ohio, has offered scholarships to help fledgling aviators reach their goals. This year’s winner is Kayla Collins from Charleston, South Carolina.

Collins receives the latest $2,500 Sporty’s Pilot Training+ Scholarship as part of the company’s Learn to Fly Month celebration.

“We started the program in 2018,” Mark Wiesenhahn, vice president at Sporty’s, told FLYING. “We’ve awarded 14 scholarships.”

Collins is training at Charleston Flight School with a goal to earn her private pilot certificate and instrument rating this year, followed by her commercial and instructor certificates in 2024. 

Eventually, she hopes to fly for a major airline.

Collins, the daughter of a former U.S. Air Force and FedEx pilot, has always been fascinated with flight, so much so that after graduating from college she worked as a flight attendant until her creative side and a business opportunity took her into the world of interior design.

Although she enjoys her career as a designer, she wanted to explore the world of flight. But like so many, a lack of resources proved to be an obstacle. 

“I never thought I would have the resources to pursue being a pilot,” she said. “But I’ve been working successfully in the interior design industry for more than eight years and have been able to create a stable life for my family, but there has always been a void not being in the exhilarating world of aviation.”

Aviation means a career change for Collins. 

“Changing careers allows me to challenge myself as a professional and also provides the opportunity to pursue my dream of becoming a pilot while taking care of my family,” she said. “I am taking a huge leap of faith that my investment will pay off, and earning the scholarship is a huge help in my aviation pursuit.”

Collins flies twice a week and has completed her first solo. For ground school she has been using Sporty’s online Learn to Fly Course and flight preparation resources available to her as a Sporty’s Pilot Training+ member.

Sporty’s Pilot Training+ is a membership program that allows access to the company’s library of video-based courses for an annual fee. Membership also includes the opportunity to apply for three $2,500 scholarships awarded annually.

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Cal Poly Humboldt is located in Arcata, California. It is the most northern campus in the California State University system. Full disclosure: I am a graduate of Humboldt. Both my writing and aviation careers began as passions at Humboldt. I consider myself very blessed that I was able to turn them into careers. Imagine how excited I was when I had the opportunity to help the next generation discover the joy of aviation.

It began with a series of fortunate events, starting in February 2022 with a piece written for Black History Month about Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson Jr., a private pilot and the first African American to serve as the president of the university. The piece focused on how pilots take lessons learned in the cockpit and apply them in the corporate world. Jackson joined Humboldt in 2019 and is an active pilot. He grew up in Seattle, where I am based now and we talked about local aviation. Part of the discussion included the challenges of flying in Humboldt County where fog is the norm, and there is a lack of infrastructure for general aviation in the economically challenged area.

• READ MORE: The Cockpit and Corporate World: Being a Pilot Influences Your Work Life

President Jackson mentioned the university now had an aviation club and put me in touch with the club advisor, a math professor named David Marshall, who is also a private pilot. Marshall told me about a scratch-built flight simulator that had been built by the campus gaming club and was now operated by the aviation club. It is located on the second floor of the library in an open space made possible by the digitization of materials over the decades. The gaming sim is located in a space marked off with whiteboards. There are aviation posters on the boards, and there is a classroom-sized E6-B flight computer on display, along with posters containing the instructions for operating the sim. The gaming sim consists of a non-moving platform and a bank of wrap-around screens. The cockpit is part computer generated, part toggle switch, part knobs.

I had a chance to try it out in February when I was on campus for a visit, and quite frankly, if it had been there when I was going to school, I am not sure if I would have made it to all my classes.

Although the gaming sim is a great tool for generating interest in aviation, it doesn’t operate at the level of an FAA-approved Advanced Aviation Training Device. AATDs are often used when the weather is too poor to fly, or to teach procedures that can accelerate the learning process in the airplane. Professor Marshall mentioned that he had been exploring the idea of getting an FAA-approved device for the university. I have been using AATDs since my student pilot days and know their value—I interpreted his remark as the Gauntlet of Challenge being thrown down.

A Plan Comes Together

Last spring, I wrote a piece about the use of simulation technology to accelerate the aviation learning process. Representatives of several AATD manufacturers were interviewed—one of them was Mike Altman, president of Precision Flight Controls, Inc. Altman mentioned his company, which makes many AATDs was about to take a trade-in on a GTX MAX Cessna AATD. Altman, an accomplished pilot and instructor, mentioned the unit would be refurbished in-house, then a new home would be found for it. I told him about the situation at CP Humboldt and put him in touch with professor Marshall.

• READ MORE: Simulation Technology, Not Just for Airlines

The stars have aligned. As I write this, the GTX MAX is in the process of being refurbished, and soon will be installed in the library at Cal Poly Humboldt. This is a professional-grade device found at FBOs, not a desktop model. The device measures 95 inches wide, 80 inches long, and 70 inches high. The cabin is partially enclosed to provide a cockpit experience.

According to Altman, the GTX MAX has “pitch, roll, heave and yaw effect” and can be configured as either a Cessna 172 or a Cessna 182. The precision flight controls (PFC) device uses X-plane software. The unit comes with a separate instructor operating station. PFC will provide operational checklists.

In the meantime, the aviation club and campus officials are raising money for the Library Aviation Fund. The goal is $5,000, which will be used to employ flight simulator student assistants and to maintain the AATD.

18-year-old Harmony Switzer-Tryon, the president of the aviation club, is excited about the installation. Her father was a private pilot and she often flew with him when she was a child.

“I really hope it inspires people to pursue aviation as an interest or maybe even as a career,” she told FLYING. “The simulator will lower the barrier to allow them to step into the field.”

Airport Open House

The acquisition of the AATD is one of many efforts to increase aviation awareness in the Humboldt area. According to Switzer-Tryon, the aviation club is hosting an airport open house on April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Murray Field Airport (KEKA). 

The airport is a general aviation facility located south of Arcata along Arcata Bay and has a single runway, 12/30 measuring 3,011 feet by 75 feet. According to Airnav.com, there are 22 aircraft based at the airport, but according to Marshall, they expect 50 to 70 aircraft to show up for the open house static display.

The airport is one of six in the county. According to local pilots, over the years the general aviation infrastructure has largely been neglected because the county dissolved the department of aviation and put the operation and upkeep of the airports under different departments, such as public works.

This changed in 2018 when the county hired Cody Roggatz to be the director of the newly reconstituted department of aviation. There have been some growing pains as the county has moved through backlogged maintenance and compliance issues with the FAA. For example, in February 2022, the county instituted a 500 percent rent increase at KEKA, arguing that the rents were artificially low.

FBO owner Kyle Gable stated he could not absorb a rent increase from $1,536 a month to $10,088 a month beginning March 1, 2022. Instead, Gable opted to close the FBO and flight school but keep the maintenance operation open.

• READ MORE: Pilots Accuse California County of Neglecting Airport While Asking for Massive Rent Increase

In addition to the loss of the FBO and flight school, the airport lost its ability to provide fuel, as the above-ground fuel tank had rotted away from years of neglect and was no longer environmentally stable. As this story was being written, a new tank had not yet been installed, although at multiple county airport meetings since March 2022, Roggatz had stated that there was progress being made in obtaining a tank and getting the permits for its installation. He blamed delays on supply chain issues.

Most of the county’s focus is on California Redwood Coast—Humboldt County Airport (KACV) located in McKinleyville, California, north of Arcata. KACV was built during World War II by the U.S. Navy as a facility to test defogging technology. Today, the airport is the only one in Humboldt served by commercial passenger air carriers. At the present time, United Airlines and Avelo operate at KACV. Historically, the county has had difficulty keeping regional carriers in Humboldt County for more than a few years because the profit margin is slim.

The county’s regional airport is powered by a self-sustaining solar grid. When an earthquake knocked out power to most of the country in December 2022, the airport remained in operation.

This summer, the Humboldt County Department of Aviation will begin the Runway Rehabilitation and Electrical Improvement Project. The work is slated to begin in June 2023, with anticipated completion in Dec. 2023. It was noted that between August 14 to 25, there will be no airline flights at KACV as the work progresses.

GTX MAX AATD Specs

• All-Metal Construction
• C172, C182, or 206 Flight Model 
• PFDl000 PFD/MFD Panels
• Dynamic Control Loading (Pitch/Roll/Yaw)
• Active Circuit Breaker Panel
• PC Rack System w/Integrated IOS Desk
• (5) Monitors (Visuals)
• Monitor (IOS)
• Integrated Cockpit Air Flow System
• FlightCrew Seats- Pilot & Co-pilot (w/Adjustable Base and Tracks)
• X-Plane Professional Software License
• PFC 1000 Professional Software License
• PFC 1000 NXi Software
• Exterior Cockpit Graphics
• Interior Cockpit Upholstery
• PilotEdge Compatible (4-way Intercom Included)
• EFB Compatible

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That’s the situation Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) finds itself in. With campuses in Oshkosh and Appleton, Wisconsin, EAA’s big annual summer aviation family reunion is a neighbor every college program teaching aviation students would love to have. With as many as 600,000 happy people attending AirVenture each July, every year of the big EAA show brings in another crop of children and young adults who are getting their fire sparked for a career spent in the air.

Jared Huss, FVTC’s director of aeronautics, has served in many capacities in his 25 years in the aviation industry and knows the school’s proximity to AirVenture is a huge plus. He holds an ATP certificate and has been an airline pilot and contract corporate pilot, along with numerous positions as an aviation educator. When it comes to finding motivated new students, Huss does not have to look far.

“Being co-located with the aviation organization that brings the largest aviation gathering in the world to our community is truly special,” Huss said. “We have the unique opportunity to share the same airport where EAA AirVenture takes place each year. The end of July is always one of the most exciting times of the year that reminds our students why they’ve chosen this career path. I can’t think of a more immersive way to give our students the overwhelming experience of what it means to be a part of such a welcoming, fun-loving, tight-knit family like we find in our aviation community. Having this wonderful aviation community gather right in our backyard and being able to share our community together each year is something that we will always treasure.”

FVTC recently celebrated 30 years in aviation training and offers two main paths of training: aircraft maintenance and flight. Along with programs for airframe & powerplant technicians and aircraft electronics, FVTC operates 10 aircraft—seven Cessna C172S Skyhawks and three Beechcraft Be76 Duchesses—and currently offers two degrees in professional pilot training; an Associate Degree in Aeronautics-Pilot Training and a Technical Diploma in Aeronautics-Professional Pilot, which serves upwards of 70 to 80 flight students. All flight training at FVTC operates from the S. J. Spanbauer Aviation & Industrial Center, located off Oregon Street on the east side of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH).

Part of AirVenture

Since the beginning of the FVTC aviation program in 1991, the school has had a presence at EAA Airventure. “We’ve enjoyed venues ranging from the exhibit hangars to sharing FVTC Aviation under our own tent, to sharing the wonderful space in the Education Center where we are located near other flight schools, universities, and employers that we collaborate with to help connect students to amazing careers in aviation. It’s wonderful to have such a great venue for our students to explore the gateway to the world of aviation careers right across the airport,” Huss explained.

Huss added that FVTC’s collaborations with EAA extend far beyond that one glorious week in July. “EAA and FVTC have enjoyed many years of collaborative partnership and continue to grow and evolve in new ways together to support the growth of our aviation community. We’ve worked together on initiatives ranging from shared opportunities for aviation students, to collaborative grant efforts, legislative work, promotion of aviation to youth groups through various activities, and more,” he said.

One has to look no further than Kyle Anderson, an FVTC Aeronautics-Pilot Training graduate and current airline pilot, to see how EAA’s annual summer show can fire up local young people. 

“EAA (AirVenture) for me was the main reason I wanted to pursue a career in aviation,” Anderson said. “I literally learned how to walk at EAA, and haven’t missed a year except for 2020 due to Covid. I can remember some of my earliest and fondest memories involved sitting on the flight line eating ice cream with my Grandpa and watching the airshow planes make their passes. I went through the AirVenture academics tent my senior year and found FVTC’s booth where I began talking with their representatives. Upon learning the more affordable costs, the number of ratings you can earn, and the locality of their flight school to my home, it was perfect. Fast forward, I now fly the Embraer E175 for Skywest Airlines. I can say I learned to fly at one of the most famous airports, one that was the birthplace of my love for aviation.”

Operations at the Summer’s Busiest Airport

Anyone who has ever been lucky enough to attend AirVenture knows the sky can become thick with every imaginable type of flying machine at various times. Huss explained that FVTC has a long-established plan to avoid flight training conflicts with all that traffic.

“As you can probably imagine, the airport and airspace around KOSH become quite active in the days leading up to and including the week of AirVenture,” Huss said. “As such, we stop flight training operations mid-week the week prior to AirVenture and resume in the days following the event. Aviation students and staff find themselves taking a step back from the day-to-day and get to go out and enjoy what AirVenture is all about. You won’t hear a lot of complaints from a bunch of passionate aviation enthusiasts with some extra time on their hands to watch airplanes and take part in the greatest aviation gathering in the world!”

Huss noted that each year at AirVenture, students, faculty, and staff from FVTC take part in AirVenture in many ways, from working their booth in the Education Center or presenting topics at one of the many seminars that take place daily.

Only One of FVTC’s Collaborations

KOSH is considered by many to be the focal point of general aviation in the U.S., and FVTC’s campus on the east side of the airport means working with many other companies is a logical collaboration.

“FVTC works closely with Basler Turbo Conversions right next door to our Aviation Training Center, Air Wisconsin Airlines is right up the road, and Sonex Aircraft is right there on the field,” Huss said. “There are countless other flight departments and operators that we serve throughout our district and the region as a whole, an important one is Gulfstream, located at Appleton (KATW). With Gulfstream’s significant growth and additional opportunities at the Appleton location, FVTC has been stretching and exploring ways to best meet the surging needs of the aviation maintenance workforce. Gulfstream has been very supportive of these efforts, and several grant opportunities that FVTC has pursued have been awarded.”

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