Flight Academy high school students take off on Monday

The Flight Academy is with Eagle Butte High School and Super T Aviation.

Students have been in ground school since September and got to put their skills to the test in the air with an instructor.

Grade 10 student Montana Van Maarion says the view is amazing, “Flying by the river and then you get to see all of the coulees and then when you follow the river it’s just really pretty. My first flight we flew over my family’s farm so that was pretty cool.”

Aviation is a passion for Logan Neubauer, he says it’s a dream come true to be training in high school for his pilot’s license, “I just love a whole new perspective that so few people get to see. From the air, everything just looks different and it’s really a privilege to go up and the freedom associated with that you get to live your own unique sort of lifestyle.”

For the Flight Academy’s 13 students this year, it’s a great program and opportunity according to their teacher Jimi Ricci, “To think that these students will be asking their mom and dad if they can borrow the car to drive and I keep telling them that in a few years your parents will be asking you to fly them to Calgary or Vancouver.”

Flying even runs in the family for some students.

Shelby Reiling says her dad, grandfather, and great uncle had their pilot’s license, “So a couple years ago at Stampede we saw the Sky Hawks perform and that looked really interesting and so I joined Air Cadets and my dad really encouraged me to go into aviation because he got his pilot’s license when he was my age.”

And the dream starts young.

Kale Routly says he wanted to fly since he was 5 years old and took off for the first time today, “I’ve heard great stories from my friends who have already flown and I’m excited to do it myself.”

According to Ricci, the students have many aspirations whether it’s getting their commercial license or to fly for fun.

“Some of our students aspire to be bush pilots working in northern Canada, we have some that want to fly military jets, fighter jets, we have some that want to fly helicopters, and some just for recreation.”

Ricci adds the students will acquire 70 flying hours during the program and collect most of those hours this summer.

Students are also building an RV12 aircraft throughout the summer.

by Chantal Wagner

Flight Academy high school students take off on Monday

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