FAA-Supported ACE Academies Take Kids from the Classroom to the Cockpit

Supported by the FAA and the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals, these intense one-week summer camps for children plant seeds for successful futures.

Sara Withrow

Thursday, July 28, 2022 at 07:24 AM ET

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Andrew Pierce, director of the Buckeye Tigers ACE Academy and a pilot for the U.S. Air Force Reserve, gives students of the OBAP-sponsored academy in Columbus a tour of the C-17 flight deck at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (KFFO). [Photos by Michael Milton and Eric Haynesworth]

Key Takeaways:

The Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy, supported by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and the FAA, aims to expose youth, particularly underrepresented Black youth aged 13-18, to diverse aviation and STEM career opportunities.
These academies address the aviation industry's workforce needs and the significant lack of minority representation by providing hands-on experiences, including flight simulators, discovery flights, and insights into various aviation roles beyond just piloting.
The week-long programs also integrate vital life skills and inspire participants, such as Isaiah Silla, to actively pursue their aviation dreams, highlighting the program's long-term impact on student pathways and the industry pipeline.

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Isaiah Silla, a 15-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, leans into a KC-135 boom pod simulator, examining the controls that allow the Stratotanker to refuel military aircraft midair. Earlier in the week, he practiced landing a corporate jet in a full-motion simulator, and pondered the physics of getting a C-17 Globemaster airborne.

The activities were all part of a one-week Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy that ended July 16. The academy was hosted by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and supported by the FAA.