Grayson Sewell
Mar 15, 2023
Introduction to Aviation and Aerospace’ offered in fall 2023
HARTFORD — Hartford Union High School announced on Monday that they will be offering the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation High School STEM curriculum starting in fall 2023.“HUHS will offer this new course ‘Introduction to Aviation and Aerospace’, which will complement the Aviation Club program offered by Kettle Moraine Youth Aviation (KMYA), where students build an RV12iS two-seat aluminum airplane at the Hartford Airport,” said the release.
According to the release, 32 students, from both HUHS and Slinger High School, have participated in KMYA’s Aviation Club since its inception in 2020 by Lawrence Sullivan and a group of aviators in Washington County who thought students would benefit from it.
“The experience of building and flying an airplane requires perseverance, patience, cooperation, math, visual/spatial skills and manual skills that can be useful in all walks of life and careers,” said the release.
Current club members are working on building the club’s second airplane and have already finished the stabilator, vertical stabilizer, tailcone and trim tabs, according to the release.“
Teams are currently working on the wings and fuselage, and they just ordered their third kit, which they hope will be available next fall,” said the release.
“We are extremely grateful for the leadership of Dr. Sullivan and the many mentors who have made the experience with the Aviation Club such a success,” said HUHS Superintendent Jeff Walters in the release. “Hartford Union High School is super excited that students can continue to pursue their interest and passion for aviation through this new course offering.”
Adding this course to HUHS’s curriculum not only gives another option for students to explore their interests, but the hope is that it will help address future needs in the aviation industry.
According to the release, Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook shows there will be an estimated 602,000 new pilots and 610,000 new technicians needed worldwide by 2041.According to the You Can Fly AOPA Foundation, the estimated supply of aviation jobs is currently outpacing the number of people entering the workforce.“
Ironically, the number of airline transport pilot certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2021 is 21 percent less than in 2012,” according to the You Can Fly AOPA Foundation. “This mismatch of supply and demand presents a tremendous opportunity for students to pursue aviation careers that they may not have previously considered.”
HUHS and KMYA hope that with this new course offering that more students will take an interest in aviation, and perhaps become the pilots and technicians of tomorrow.