My youngest didn't make the grades to take college classes his junior and senior years of high school and had to transfer to a different high school. His new school finished building an airplane hanger this past spring and they enrolled him in two classes in the hanger. I guess one door closes and a hanger door opens. We didn't pick the classes, but I'm excited for him. We'll learn more about the classes at the open house tomorrow, but one of them is called "Private Pilot".

Big News from Charlotte High School’s Aerospace Hangar!

"We are proud to announce that following an inspection by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), our aerospace hangar has officially been approved for FAA Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician training.

This approval allows our students to begin the Dual Enrollment A&P General course in partnership with Charlotte Technical College, giving them the opportunity to earn college credit while preparing for careers in aviation maintenance.

This is another exciting step toward building a world-class aerospace education program and strengthening the workforce pipeline right here in Charlotte County."

I went to a great high school that I thought had everything including an 8 bay auto shop with a spray booth, but a hanger is next level.

A high school with a hangar? Just the thing to get youngsters into the most wallet-draining hobby/occupation/life-style there is! Well, if the taxpayers are paying for it, I'd urge your kid to take every course they offer, maybe getting his A&P and pilot licenses for "free" just to keep his options open. Who knows, maybe someday you'll get to pay for his first plane!

That's really cool and a great High School experience.

The closest I got to that was building and launching a model rocket.

We did the model rocket thing freshman year, I don't remember what the class was called, but we turned a glass bottle into a lamp, and bolted a cylinder head onto a small engine.

I got a D for the cylinder head because mine had no compression afterwards. I told the teacher the rings must be shot and he said they couldn't be. It was the last quarter. I bumped into him over the summer, he told me he had torn the motor apart and found that I was right, but it was too late to change my grade.

Auto shop my junior year was the most valuable class I took in high school. Seriously, I learned how to turn dics and drums, how to balance tires with a dynamic balance, rebuild carburetors, bang out dents, etc. I also learned I sucked at paint work.

I don't care if my son becomes a pilot or A&P, but I think he'll appreciate the hands on classes as much as I did.

Aviation is gonna need new A&P’s. We have hundreds that are at retirement age including me at my airline that are going to need replacing. I’m done at the end of the year.

Just think, if he becomes interested in a career you'll be sending him to Embry-Riddle in Daytona

My understanding is that there is a vast shortage of aircraft mechanics presently. So if his HighSchool if offering a plane-shop program then that is fantastic!

I would tell anyone who is young consider aircraft mechanics for a career.

HK Ag

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:
My understanding is that there is a vast shortage of aircraft mechanics presently. So if his HighSchool if offering a plane-shop program then that is fantastic!

I would tell anyone who is young consider aircraft mechanics for a career.

HK Ag

And pilots, the max restriction on pilot age is retiring a large amount of active pilots for airlines.

Just got back from the open house. The private pilot class is ground school for passing the FAA written exam.

I didn't get a clear understanding of the other class, Aviation Assembly Technician I. The syllabus doesn't spell the pathway out, so I'll have to call the school tomorrow.

It seems he gets NCATT AAA certification, then can get Mitutoyo Level I and II. Then there's something about building a Zenith plane and Pilatus Training. I don't see how that fits in his two remaining years of high school.

There’s also a dual enrollment possibility to get 450 hours of the A in A&P. After high school, he’d do 900 hours at the local tech college to get the P of A&P. I don’t think the dual enrollment will be an option for him at his stage in high school.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trapper189,

quote:

I would tell anyone who is young consider aircraft mechanics for a career.

Probably not a bad gig if you get aircraft maintenance in one of the military services.