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 where high school students dedicate significant hours from September to June to build Van's Aircraft RV-12 airplanes.
The program provides students with valuable vocational skills like metal fabrication, electronics, and technical drawing, while fostering teamwork, accountability, and preparing them for aviation careers.
TeenFlight is sustained through corporate sponsorships and the sale of previously built aircraft, and it also exposes students to industry networking and teaches them to navigate real-world challenges such as supply chain issues.
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.
