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, primarily supported by the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and co-sponsored by the FAA, aims to expose youth, especially underrepresented Black youth, to diverse aviation and STEM career paths.
These academies provide hands-on experiences, including simulators and discovery flights, and field trips to aviation facilities, fostering an interest in careers beyond just piloting.
The program plays a critical role in building a future aviation workforce and addressing the historical underrepresentation of Black individuals in the industry.
Beyond aviation skills, the academies integrate life skills and inspire students, like Isaiah Silla, to pursue their goals and achieve success in their chosen 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.