TeenFlightTM at Hillsboro Airport in Oregon, is a class for ten to seventeen teens, between the ages of 14 and 19, who have a love of all things that fly, and want to learn the skills to build a real, FAA certified, two-person airplane. The class meets every Saturday from 9am to 3pm during the school year, and normally takes one and a half to two years to complete. After the airplane is finished, completes its FAA required test flights, and achieves its FAA certification, each teen gets the opportunity to safely experience flying their airplane with a highly experienced pilot. During the class, students learn skills of:
- Working with hand tools and power tools;
- Reading and interpreting plans and instructions;
- Functioning in a team setting with 4 to 17 other teens, depending on the phases of construction;
- Learning the unique safety methodologies and environment of the aviation world;
- How to cut, drill, and work with aluminum, steel, fiberglass, and rivets, rivets, rivets; and more rivets.
- How to keep a view for the long-term goals (two years in this example) and get to the end “big reward.”
Most of the class is hands-on, under the eagle eye of adult experienced mentors, but is appended with short lessons about physics of flight, airplane design, materials, fasteners, powerplant design, avionics, and inspection procedures. The skills learned can be useful in any future career.
Teen Aeronautics Inc. is an all-volunteer run organization, with no paid employees. The TeenFlightTM class originated 16 years ago under the Airway Science for Kids Inc. non-profit, but has been spun off to Teen Aeronautics Inc. for more efficient operation. The two organizations remain supportive of each other, and cooperative with each other, in their goals of helping youth learn STEM skills through interest in aviation.