Oklahoma students build airplane through hands-on aviation program
By Emma Burch
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NORMAN, Oklahoma (KOCO) — High school students in Norman are gaining hands-on experience in aviation by building airplanes as part of the Oklahoma Aviation Academy program.
Juniors and seniors at Norman Public Schools recently completed their first aircraft, a Van’s RV-12i, after spending two years and approximately 2,500 hours assembling it from a box of parts.
“They did all the wiring harnesses, put the engine in the canopy, you know, just every little piece of this kid airplane,” said Terry Adams, director of the Oklahoma Aviation Academy.
Lauren Crossley, a junior at Norman High School, shared her excitement about the project.
“Whoa, I like helped build something that someone’s going to like take to the air and might do something really cool one day,” she said.
The program is one of only a few like it in Oklahoma.
“We’re one of, at the time, we were only one of four schools in the state, maybe five, that were doing this program,” Adams said.
The students are now working on their second airplane, which is expected to be completed by May.
“It’s like all little, tiny pieces, and then by the end, it’s like a full plane that you built,” said Alex Morris, a senior at Norman High School.
For some students, the program has introduced them to new career possibilities.
“There’s, like, a whole world to aviation that, like, I had no idea about,” Crossley said.
Adams highlighted the program’s impact on students’ futures.
“Our first senior class, our first four-year group, came through last year, and over 70% of them are still going to pursue a career in aviation, aerospace or engineering,” he said.
The program aims to provide students with real-world experience in an industry that Oklahoma needs more workers to fill, helping them build their futures one piece at a time.
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