Aviation Club Gives Students Opportunity to Fly

A typical goal for many students to accomplish in high school is earning a driver's license and getting their first car; however, the new Aviation Club here at HUHS takes that goal to a whole new level.

With the Aviation Club starting its first year at HUHS it offers students the opportunity to build a RV-12iS airplane kit and actually fly it during the late spring of 2021. Club members must attend ground school lessons where they learn the basics of flying a plane and eventually go on a test flight known as an eagle flight ride where club members were able to help fly a plane and practice some maneuvers.

Junior Nathaniel Monty joined the club because of his interest in going into the aerospace industry. “I'm really interested in seeing how all the internal components go together, from the engine to the avionics,” Monty said. “I'm especially interested in seeing how the electrical components are assembled because that is what I'll be working on if I can make it into the aerospace industry as an electrical engineer.”

Tech ed teacher and Aviation Club liaison Mark Murphy said the club has had huge community support. The club has received donations from the community as well as the EAA. “All the materials and aircraft parts are purchased by donations,” Murphy said. “We actually have our first aircraft funded which is incredible.”

Murphy said the long term goal is to build a plane every school year. The club’s plan is to complete the current plane for this year and use it for practice flights next year while the second one is being built. Then the original plane will eventually be sold and the proceeds would go into building a third plane. This cycle would likely continue.

Sophomore Richard Glidden is excited for the plane to get finished and to see something he built actually fly. “[Construction] is something you really have to pay close attention to because our lives depend on how well we work here,” Glidden said.

Gliden acknowledged that many of the club members are at different skill levels when it comes to tech ed; however, he said that anyone is welcome to join no matter their experiences.