A group of kids in the TeenFlight program work on building a Van’s Aircraft RV-12. Credit: Meg Godlewski
Key Takeaways:
TeenFlight is a Seattle-area program engaging high school students in building Van's Aircraft RV-12 planes, where they dedicate approximately 200 hours annually to hands-on construction.
The program imparts crucial vocational skills, including metal fabrication and avionics, while fostering professional qualities like teamwork, accountability, and problem-solving.
Students gain valuable exposure to the aviation industry through networking and presenting at events, with the sale of completed aircraft funding future projects and tools.
It’s a rainy October evening at Pierce County-Thun Field (KPLU), a non-towered airport located approximately 40 miles south of Seattle. About an hour before sunset, a group of teens show up at Hangar Number 6 and immediately get to work.
These kids are part of TeenFlight and they’re building a Van’s Aircraft RV-12.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
