“It was one of the most powerful things I’ve ever witnessed,” said Andy Bailey, Eden Prairie High School’s aviation teacher. “The way those kids’ faces were lit up after they’d done a couple laps around the sky? It was every educator’s favorite sight. It was real inspiration.
“Eden Prairie Schools offers five interest-area ‘Pathways’ encompassing a wide range of ‘Capstones’ that help students discover, explore, and pursue exciting careers. Engineering. Woodcrafting. Agriculture. They’re all world-class programs, though I expect you’ll forgive me for having a favorite. It’s my own: Aeronautics, which showcases the myriad opportunities awaiting in aviation and aerospace.
“Many fortunate circumstances came together to make the Aeronautics Capstone possible. There’s our city’s own historic airport, which steeps us in a rich culture of aviation. There is Dr. Josh Swanson, our superintendent who also just so happens to be an instrument-rated pilot with numerous connections throughout the industry. There’s Dr. Michael Nehring, our high school’s engineering and manufacturing teacher who spent several years building the Aeronautics Capstone into something I felt truly honored to take over in 2025. There are also our valued partners: C.H. Robinson, Elliott Aviation, the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Premier Jet Center, Sun Country Airlines, Thunderbird Aviation, and of course AV8 Flight School, which just gave our students the most up-close-and-personal look at aviation they could have hoped for.”
“It took ten of our staff, six Piper Archer TX aircraft, and about two and a half hours to get all the kids up there,” said George Lichty, general manager and primary helicopter instructor for AV8 Flight School. “Each one completed two passes around Flying Cloud Airport’s holding pattern, taking a turn at the flight controls (which, you’ll be relieved to know, are entirely governed by the pilot) while they were at it. While they waited on the ground, the kids learned about the mechanical side of aviation from Tom Kortisses; our director of maintenance, whose skills are in equally fierce demand in our industry.
“The Aeronautics Capstone fits perfectly into our mission to share the magic of flight with as many children as possible. People are usually surprised to learn how early kids can start flying. We once welcomed a student as young as 11, although 14 to 16 is more usual. They can start soloing at 16, and receive their license the following year. By the time someone graduates high school, they might be well on their way toward a career where the average professional makes over $120,000 a year, and is required to work no more than 1,000 hours (which is 25 workweeks) annually. That’s a nice start in life!”
“And we’ll help them get there, if they’d like,” added Andy. “Some of our Aeronautics students were transformed by their experience in AV8 Flight School’s Archer TX. They’re carrying themselves with the pride and professionalism that follow a big lightbulb moment. They have to be pilots! Those and several others are exploring a more immediate pathway to careers in aviation by studying to receive FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificates, which would allow them to fly drones commercially. I have one myself, and the opportunities in construction and infrastructure are growing more enormous with each passing year.
“Some of the kids will decide aviation isn’t for them. Of course that’s OK! But no matter where their lives take them, they’ll always remember the time they took the controls of an actual airplane – something most people would never dream of doing.”
Visit My.EdenPr.org/Curriculum to discover all five of Eden Prairie Schools’ Pathways, which span kindergarten through senior year. Visit AV8Flight.com to see where thrilling careers in aviation take off. (Have you and your own already got the career side of things covered? AV8 Flight School can still teach you to fly a plane or a chopper, just for the fun of it!)
"The way those kids’ faces were lit up after they’d done a couple laps around the sky? It was every educator’s favorite sight. It was real inspiration."