First Post, Trying to find high school teachers who have a build an airplane class

[Davene Meehan]

I apologize but I just spent last half hour/hour trying to find answer and have finally given up.

I want to teach math and science STEM while students build an airplane. I thought this was doable--but not so sure.

Need ideas, steps, advice to begin. I teach at an adult high school attached to a technical center with welding, HVAC, electrical, carpentry, auto building, etc. Have permission to put this together, told if I get money, I will get a space. Have not built an airplane, do not have pilot's license. Am certified in the state of FL to teach Physics, Chemistry, Math 6-12, Biology, Health, Earth/Space, Technology Education, Health, and Art. Putting together a glog to pool my thoughts and progress. Please advise--do I take a class? Have you done this? Member of EAA, AIAA, CAP--will check their sites also. http://tehescmarts.edu.glogster.com/build-an-airplane/ I am in Pensacola and there is an aviation academy at a local high school but they do not build an airplane. I think this is an exciting and motivating idea.

Joined local EAA and they are the best. One member suggested I get in contact with "national".

Thank you for any help. If this is the wrong place to post this--please point me to the right place.

Davene Meehan
http://tehescmarts.edu.glogster.com/glogs/

[martymayes]

A number of years ago, Ben Millspaugh started a program at Littleton, Colorado High School where the students built a Fisher FP 404. The airplane was displayed at OSH in in 1990 and 1991. I believe his program was copied and used at other high schools as well. Perhaps he is still around and you can get in touch with him for guidance. Good luck, I'll check out your site.

[Bob Meder]

I can't remember his name, but there was the teacher in Mundelein, IL whose classes built a plane that, IIRC, went around the world. I believe the plane's on display at the museum in Oshkosh.

ETA: Google is your friend:

http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/shop-class.html

[Sonex1517]

You may also want to look at this page

http://education.sonexaircraft.com/

[rickatic]

I do not know about Adult Ed classes but if you contact Videobob over at Vans Airforce he has experience with high schoolers building RV12's...I think he is on build number three...He is also in Indiana, just SE of Indianapolis...

Regards

[Davene Meehan]

Thank you martymayes, Bob Meder, Sonex1517, and rickatic. I appreciate that you took this time to help. I will follow all advice. Google is good. :)

Most sincerely, Davene

[cub builder]

I would start with the build a plane foundation. They are geared towards helping set up programs doing exactly what you want to do. http://www.buildaplane.org/ I would suggest reading their FAQ page and going from there. Abandoned projects are easy to come by. Our EAA chapter has donated a project to a Middle School through Build a Plane and currently have access to another abandoned project that could be had as a tax write off donation.

-CubBuilder

[Bret Steffen]

Hello folks! My name is Bret Steffen, and I'm the new Director of Education here at EAA. There are some great ideas here from all of you. I hope to put together more information to have available for anyone looking to do what Davene is doing as time goes by. I am really looking forward to working with everyone to grow participation in aviation! Thanks to all of you for all you are doing to help, and let me know of ideas and issues you think I should be aware of.

[nrpetersen]

The Hopkins MN high school woodworking class built a Volmer amphibian and later an Emeraude - both back in the middle seventies. Old time EAAer Al Schauss was the primary technical resource. As I recall, there came several pilot careers etc for the students out of that program.

[Bill Greenwood]

I don't have the name, but last year there was a man at Aspen High School who had been a teacher in Albuqurque, N. M schools and they had built a plane or planes and had students get flight instruction. He is now in Aspen, I think. I don't have a correct phone number now, try info for area code 970. He proposed to build a Vans RV-12 here, at Aspen High School.

[wltrmtty]

Jim Jackson moved to Idaho and still has the Lancair.

[Davene Meehan]

cub builder, Brett Steffen, nrpetersen, Bill Greenwood, and wltrmtty, Thank you--I have a lot more leads and a better focus. Brett, if you could put that information together it would be appreciated. What I would find helpful: list of people/schools who are building airplanes. Criteria needed for someone who is going to do such a project. (Classes, certifications, licenses?). Various build options. Ideas for grant requests--how much money, and for what, approximately... Definitely pitfalls to watch for, safety and liability issues.

[cub builder]

http://www.alaskajournal.com/Alaska-Journal-of-Commerce/March-2009/Begich-Middle-School-builds-an-airplane/
This is the last one I was involved with. One of our EAA members passed away and left the chapter her project. There were a bunch of people involved from the FAA, the 99s, and the EAA to make this happen, but the project was donated to a middle school in Anchorage, AK. We crated it up, and one of the folks up there found a trucking company that donated the space on board their truck, so picked it up here in NM, hauled it to their shipping center in Houston, then trucked it to Anchorage free of charge.

-CubBuilder

[Bill Greenwood]

Sorry I could not find the name and phone no of the man at Aspen High School, I am out of town for a few days. He said the programs in N M were very successful, kids had to qualify by keeping their grades up, and got to fly and I think got licenced. It was not just a theory course or even a shop course.
I think there may have been some state or federal grants and funding for some of the lower income kids. I believe they have a sponsor for the plane this year in Aspen.
His son was a star player on the basketball team last year.

[scott cutler]

I teach 7 & 8 graders biology and general physics in Washington state. My exploratory is a Career and Technical Education class called Physics of Flight. We study aerodynamics and are building a Pietenpol and and newly acquired Sonex Onex. My advice is just get your program going and the details will work themselves out as you go. People will constantly be asking you, "How can you build an airplane in school?" That 's because they let the small stuff prevent them from getting started. I have no shop, no storage space, and I'm working with hormone-laced human larvae-and I love it! You can get a hold of me at scott.cutler@tumwater.k12.wa.us
Have fun!

[Davene Meehan]

Everyone and Scott Cutler, Thank you! Very exciting! I am refreshed in my belief. If middle school students can do this surely high school students can. A lot of great leads, I have been adding to my "build an airplane" page. Your ideas. Will email Scott immediately. It sounds like you have done the impossible.

[Zack Baughman]

This might be of interest: http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/html5/video?id=8956860&pid=null&section=null

[Davene Meehan]

Wow thanks!

[av-mech]

Davene,

You MUST contact a fine gentleman named Don Roberts located in Noblesville Indiana (317) 773-0436. Don is now retired but for more than thiry years worked as an industrial arts teacher for the Noblesville School System. During all of those years Don had students build many, many aircraft. They built a flying SBD Duntless, Mead Primary glider, more the half a dozen restorations and while I was a student of his we built a 3/4 scale Japanese A6M5 powered with a Continental O-200. Don is a great man a was very insturmental in keeping a lot of kids out of trouble with his programs. I am 42 now and own/operate my own aircraft maintenance shop in Leesburg FL, I am a pilot and also President of EAA Chapter 534 and I can tell you with the most powerful conviction that my success in aviation and in life was greatly influenced by Mr. Roberts. If you want to teach this stuff to kids, you must talk with him.

Arnold Holmes

[kwflyguy]

Eagles Nest is a high school program for credit at the Jennings County High School in North Vernon, IN. In the program high school students built an RV-12 at the high school and the nearby KOVO airport. Bob Kelly is the sponsor and facilitator. He is not a teacher but he is a pilot and has built an RV with a partner. Their website is:
www.mtkitlog.com/bobkelly (http://www.mtkitlog.com/bobkelly) EAA Chapter 1328 has assisted in this project as has Vans. The EAA AirVenture DVD for 2012 has a video segment featuring the Eagles Nest project. Eagles Nest is beginning to have a nationwide impact. You will find bob Kelly to be a very gracious and helpful person to assist you in your goal.

[Hal Bryan]

One of my friends at AMA just reminded me about this video - a segment of a documentary called "Wings Over Indiana" that talks about youth education in aviation, including a bit about some high school students building an airplane:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAptQLiuA5o&t=2m59s

The full-scale airplane building segment starts just before the 3:00 minute mark.