High School Aviation Club

B

BCTAv8r

Well-Known Member
I'm interested in starting an aviation club at my high school. Is this something that would work or not? Is there a national organization that could sponsor the club or would I be on my own? What kind of things could we do at an aviation club?

Does anyone have/had an aviation club in high school? If so, how did it work?
 
Good idea Brian. Organize a trip out to the local airport to talk to a flight instructor to learn about flying. Then maybe another trip out to take discovery flights where those really interested in learning to fly can go up, and those not wanting to spend the money can back seat and see if it's something they want to try soon.

Then perhaps learn things necessary to become a recreational/private pilot. Talk about space and take a field-trip to Kennedy Space Center if possible.

Invite guess speakers from different walks of life -- airline - charter - freight - instructor - banner towing - skydive transports - line service - etc.
 
Are there alot of people interested in Aviation in your High School that are willing to join? Cuz' a one man club would suck!
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Are there alot of people interested in Aviation in your High School that are willing to join? Cuz' a one man club would suck!
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You'd be surprised how many kids actually are interested in aviation. We had a class discussion about future careers and I mentioned about my goal of being a pilot (most of my friends have no clue I like flying until they see my room) and one of my close friends told me he had wanted to learn to fly since he was 8 and was planning on starting this summer when baseball is over. I was leaving a party the other night and noticed a friend had an "I'd rather be flying" stick on his car. It turns out he wants to be an Air Force pilot. Another friend I saw at the airport one day getting out of a 172.

Before this year I had no local friends my age that wanted to be pilots! It's nice to be able to expose other kids to aviation even if all I do is set them up with a flight with one of my friends or parents. I wouldn't call it a club, but we all go out to the airport some times for lunch and try to fly as often as possible. A club in a city like Brian's would probally do pretty well.

Alex.
 
As an example of this working: one of the teachers over the border in NY (a.k.a God's country) did an intro to aviation unit in her science class and combined it with her own journey towards earning a PPL. She brought her class in for a field trip and myself and another CFI were able to give them a basic intro ground lesson, show them around a king air we keep hanging around here. It earned us about 6 new students! And not only that, they are getting some extra credit, which is the perfect solution to senioritis.
 
Yeah, I pretty certain that I'm the only pilot at my high school. Last year, I was one of two, but now the other kid graduated and is now going to ERAU in Daytona. For me, Ohio State Aviation will do fine
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Don't high school clubs need a teacher from the school to look over it? I'm gonna get some info on Monday? Also, what would this do to my rep?
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Hey brian...the Boy Scouts of America will allow you to form an Aviation explorer post.......it would be co-ed for high school age students. You would get insurance through the boy scouts and stuff. All you would need is a few teachers willing to head it up, and register with the boy scouts, and your good to go. If you need any other info, let me know i can give you contact numbers for the national scout office. There is an aviation explorer post in this area...basically they get flight training, go on field trips, camping trips, etc....it's sweet.
 
I'm helping to get an Aviation Explorer program going. It's not going very well. Either there isn't enough interest or the word isn't getting out, but I thought more kids would want to be a part of it. This is a city wide effort in the second largest town in WA state. We have quite a few different aviation business and organizations that give us a tour once a month. There is an outfit in Spokane that takes the piston engine out of a Piper Malibu and puts in a turboprop. Very kewl. We had one kid show up when we went there and the OWNER of the business showed up to say hi and lend his support. I was embarrased with the turnout.

Unfortunately, the leadership hasn't yet put me in charge, and things are pretty unorganized, which doesn't give a good impression to the kids.

http://www.learning-for-life.org/exploring/aviation/
 
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Don't high school clubs need a teacher from the school to look over it? I'm gonna get some info on Monday? Also, what would this do to my rep?
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LOL....My bf got suckered into being the teacher sponsor at his school for the role playing/anime club.
Man the stories he tells me when he comes home from there afterschool meetings.
There are about ten kids nine guys and one girl. He says these kids fit the stereotype for nerds,dorks, social outcast etc.
Apparently all the guys are in competition for the affection of the one girl and I hear she is no looker at all.
They fight and cry (yes cry) over who is gonna be the dark wizard or dungeon master and which card is the best and act out battles against one another.
Andrew just told me that there is a rumor that the club has disbanded.
Apparently one of the kids parents hid his Yugio cards because he wasn't socialzing well and though he was a 10,000 yr. old dragon.
Here's to hoping that you have better luck with your aviation club!!!

-Matthew
 
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LOL....My bf got suckered into being the teacher sponsor at his school for the role playing/anime club.
Man the stories he tells me when he comes home from there afterschool meetings.
There are about ten kids nine guys and one girl. He says these kids fit the stereotype for nerds,dorks, social outcast etc.
Apparently all the guys are in competition for the affection of the one girl and I hear she is no looker at all.
They fight and cry (yes cry) over who is gonna be the dark wizard or dungeon master and which card is the best and act out battles against one another.
Andrew just told me that there is a rumor that the club has disbanded.
Apparently one of the kids parents hid his Yugio cards because he wasn't socialzing well and though he was a 10,000 yr. old dragon.

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lol, oh please tell me these kids are not in high school! Usually I try not to make fun of people that are nerds but these kids sound like the definition of dork... especially if these are high schoolers thinking they are dragons!
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Your BF must feel like
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having to wittness this...

P.S. Brian, I'm sure you don't have to worry about this, everyone I meet is amazed that I fly... not to mention when every chick I meet finds out I fly, they go head over heels and practicly beg for a ride, and do I mention that I'm still a student pilot... haha, of course not!
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LOL...I kid you not these are highschool kids! He says these kids are on track to get laid in 2055.
He dreads going but understands that no other faculty would sponser the club so of course no one will take it over if he leaves and the kids won't have a place to meet.
But man the stories he comes home with are hilarious, simply hilarious!

-Matthew
 
There was an Aviation Club in Middle School that I remember. I didn't join it probably because I was in a phase different than flying. I was into motocross. But after 8th grade I realized that would have been a great oppurtunity for me. There were about Ten kids in the club and they had one of the teacher's husband, an American Airlines pilot come in, talk, take them flying. My point is that with a small school of only 300, 10 of them were interested and I'm sure more were, just not motivated to join.

Recently I found out at my High School that several kids are into flying. There is one in my class who infact takes flight lessons as well. And I've actually met a girl who wants to be a pilot. I offered to take her up when I finish my private so that she can see if she likes it or not.

I think if you start a club you will be successful.
 
Yeah DE727...the hardest part is getting it organized, getting your membership up, promoting it, etc. But once you get it going...it is very self sufficient...just runs so smoothly, on it's own. I was able to get a really good fire/medical explorer post going at my old fire department....it was awesome. Just hard in the beginning...growing pains and stuff...but once it takes off it's a great thing.
 
I wish my high school had an aviation club, but there's just not enough interest. That, and it would be hard to find a time to meet considering sports and the fact that most are not willing to come in early to school.
 
You might be surprised at how much interest there is.....just talk to one of your counselors, explain what you would like to do. He/she can put out flyers to see who would be interested, and then when you start getting replies you can go from there. When we started the fire department program...we did exactly that...contacted local high school counselors, who in turn put out surveys to find out who would be interested. In about 3 weeks....we recieved replies by the hundreds !! Totally shocking....and we had no idea there was that much interest out there. Give it a try !!
 
I was thinking about getting an aviation post started here also.....most of the boys in my scout troop are REALLY into aviation anyways, so we'd have the interest no problem.
 
I think the club will be succesful. I asked my JROTC Commander if he knew any teachers who were interested in aviation, and he's like "Besides me?" lol.

So I then notice all the aircraft models and posters in his office (I never go there so I didn't notice it that much). It turns out that he flew the F-14 for 21 years in the Navy.

He said he would like to sponsor the club and he will be talking to the guidance counselours to get the idea going.

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