January 30, 2023 – Hartford, WI – The Hartford Union High School District Board of Education has approved the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation High School STEM curriculum starting in the fall of 2023. HUHS will offer a new course, “Introduction to Aviation and Aerospace,” which will complement the Aviation Club program offered by Kettle Moraine Youth Aviation (KMYA). Students in the program build an RV12iS two-seat aluminum airplane at the Hartford Airport.
Lawrence Sullivan founded the KMYA in 2020 after a group of aviators in Washington County, WI, shared a belief that youth would greatly benefit by participating in hands-on aviation activities. Since its inception, 32 students from Hartford Union High School and Slinger High School have participated in the Aviation Club.
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Students in the Aviation Club are currently working on building their second aircraft. The stabilator, vertical stabilizer, tail cone, and trim tabs are completed. Teams are currently working on the wings and fuselage, and they just ordered their third kit, which they hope will be available next fall.
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.
Mr. Jeff Walters, Hartford Union High School superintendent said, “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. Hartford Union High School is super excited that students can continue to pursue their interest and passion for aviation through this new course offering.”
The course and club hope to satisfy a real need for aviators in the future. According to the You Can Fly AOPA Foundation, “By 2041, 602,000 new pilots and 610,000 technicians will be needed worldwide, according to Boeing’s Pilot and Technician Outlook. Ironically, the number of airline transport pilot certificates issued by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2021 is 21% less than in 2012. This mismatch of supply and demand presents a tremendous opportunity for students to pursue aviation careers that they may not have previously considered.”
Did this go away? I took that class at hartford in either 1996 or 1997. It was taught by one of the Biology teachers, who was a helicopter pilot in the National Guard, if i remember correctly.