Students Modify a CubCrafters NX Cub for GAMA's Aviation Design Challenge

Now in its 10th year, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) annual challenge contest spurs innovation and inspires youth to pursue aerospace engineering careers.

Sara Withrow

Wednesday, August 10, 2022 at 12:27 PM ET

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High school students from Erie 1 BOCES Harkness Career and Technical Center in Cheektowaga, New York, get an insiders' look at CubCrafters' aircraft manufacturing plant in Yakima, Washington. The students are members of the first-place GAMA Aviation Design Challenge team. [Courtesy: GAMA]

Key Takeaways:

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) hosts an annual Aviation Design Challenge to teach high school students STEM skills and inspire aviation careers through hands-on aircraft design.
Now in its 10th year, the challenge has grown significantly, with 65 teams from 28 states participating in 2022, utilizing X-Plane software and a "Fly to Learn" STEM curriculum.
Erie 1 BOCES Harkness Career and Technical Center won the 2022 challenge for efficiently modifying a CubCrafters NX Cub to maximize payload, earning a manufacturing experience tour in Washington state.
Raisbeck Aviation High School secured second place, receiving a Redbird Flight Simulations STEM Lab, highlighting the strong competition between these consistently top-performing schools.

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Creating the aviation and aerospace engineers of tomorrow takes more than an average lesson plan. Recognizing this, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) created a hands-on Aviation Design Challenge to teach STEM skills and inspire high school students to pursue future careers in aviation.

Monday, GAMA announced this year’s challenge winner: Erie 1 Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Harkness Career and Technical Center in Cheektowaga, New York. The team from Raisbeck Aviation High School in Tukwila, Washington, was awarded second place.