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, a program supported by the FAA and primarily hosted by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP), offers immersive aviation and STEM experiences to youth, particularly focusing on Black youth aged 13-18.
These academies aim to build a diverse aviation workforce pipeline by exposing participants to a wide range of careers beyond piloting, addressing significant underrepresentation of Black individuals in the industry.
The one-week program includes hands-on activities, simulators, discovery flights, and field trips, while also integrating life skills like problem-solving and teamwork to inspire students towards successful futures in aviation or other fields.

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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.