By Chuck Fisher EAA 1030744
Rigoberto Herrera-Cossyleon, a high school freshman, squinted just a little as the micrometer jaws closed on the drill bit in his hand — 0.0980. Beside him, EAA Chapter 35 member and mentor Darren Medlin, EAA 459343, pointed to the corresponding chart — “That’d be a No. 40, right?” Rigoberto, the deputy team lead for the aviation construction shop, nodded in agreement, dutifully inventoried the bit and carefully replaced it in the holder.
Behind him student teams huddled over plans, measured, and carefully riveted shiny aluminum ribs on their Van’s RV-12 project’s wings. Other students flew dual Redbird simulators and next door another dozen students worked through the Sporty’s ground school.
As they have every class this year, adult mentors worked shoulder to shoulder with each team. They wore the brightly colored shirts and distinctive logo of San Antonio’s EAA Chapter 35, and each was a volunteer.
Rigoberto, EAA 1305944, and his 25 classmates are participants in an innovative partnership between EAA Chapter 35 and San Antonio’s Southwest High School. Using volunteer mentors and support from the chapter, this school has created a challenging aviation curriculum program for grades 9-12 within the school’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) program. After the school moniker, the students have dubbed themselves the Southwest Supreme Dragon Aviation program.
Southwest High School is on the rural outskirts of San Antonio, geographically and economically far removed from the highly affluent, rapidly growing areas of the city. More than three-quarters of the student body are economically disadvantaged, and many of these students have never been in an airplane at all. None ever imagined they could build one of their own.
But dreams know no economic or societal boundaries.
It’s not completely clear who first dreamed of embedding an aviation program at Southwest High, but in the end Dr. Lloyd Verstuyft, the school district superintendent, and San Antonio’s Dee Howard Foundation President Wayne Fagan set the wheels in motion. They enlisted the help of EAA Chapter 35 Vice President Darren Medlin, EAA 459343, to do so. Darren agreed and began working with the school and with Aviation Nation to secure an RV-12 kit. But Darren knew it could be more than just an aircraft building project.
EAA Chapter 35 has been in San Antonio since 1958 and coincidently has its clubhouse and building facility at a small airfield only a few miles away from Southwest High School. The 130 or so members invest heavily in youth programs and scholarships. Darren was confident he’d find support to help with this project within that group — he was right. Within a few weeks he had more than a dozen chapter members — including builders, flight instructors and pilot-executives — signed up as volunteer mentors, and the chapter voted to contribute funding for additional supplies to support the project.
Science teacher Rodolfo “Rudy” Urby, EAA 1301519, grew up in San Antonio and returned to teach at Southwest. After one physics class his principal and Bob Franz, the STEM teacher, walked in and asked him if he’d be willing to teach an aviation STEM class.
“I didn’t know anything about aviation or aircraft building. Nothing,” Rudy said. “But after they told me that the EAA chapter could provide mentors to guide the building process and help with the curriculum, I could see how this could work.”
That summer Rudy went to the AOPA-sponsored aviation educator’s curriculum session in Frederick, Maryland, and began to teach himself about aviation education. He began to assemble a curriculum adapted from the AOPA program, but expanded it to provide a more challenging course suitable for all grade levels up to graduating seniors.
Meanwhile, Bob set about setting up a shop and securing funding for the aircraft. With a mentor team of experienced builders, he set up a safe, efficient shop that focusses on precision, discipline, and safety. In each session, the students use checklists, rigorous safety procedures, strict inventory control, and formal check-in and check-out procedures all led by student team leaders. Every step of the build is carefully documented, and the students keep a meticulous building log of the aircraft and of their individual training and tasks accomplished.
Over the past few months, the student-mentor teams have completed the empennage of the RV-12 and are nearly finished with the wing substructure. Along the way they’ve also learned about engines, electrical systems, and myriad specialized tools and components.
These students span a wide range of backgrounds and interests. Many are motivated by the building and technical aspect, others by the design and engineering curriculum, and, of course, a few have set their sights on flying this plane themselves.
As he located the next hand tool from a tool chest, Vincent, a junior, said he wants to translate his new skills into becoming an aircraft mechanic. He loves to work with his hands. “I think the big thing about this is responsibility. We all have to work together and show, you know — professionalism,” he said.
As the program has grown, a nonprofit charitable support group helped the school acquire two Redbird Jay flight simulators. The already intensive curriculum now includes hands-on fundamentals of flight training in addition to ground school academics.
Stephen, a freshman, said he has never been in a small plane before and isn’t too sure what he wants to be. Yet, he deftly handled the flight controls of the simulator, gliding through glowing brackets in the sky. At the end of that scenario, a “scoreboard” showed all green bars, and his mentor Ron O’Dea, EAA 518444, a CFI and CFII exclaimed, “Pretty darned good I’d say!”
Other chapter volunteers like Jane Kellogg, EAA 1283655, a former corporate CEO, introduced students to careers many might never have known about. The students are often reminded about professionalism and discipline required in a zero-error profession and the mentors and teachers have developed checklists and performance gates the students use daily. Training progress is carefully tracked and posted on the program’s internal website. Several students described how important it is that their peers depend on them to get this exactly right. For some, this may be their first exposure to such demanding expectations.
Many of the program’s students have begun to distinguish themselves in student leadership, academic achievement and have put a proud public face on their program. The chapter has had a role there too.
With encouragement from his mentors and Chapter 35’s endorsement, Zachary Ruiz, a junior, became the chapter’s first EAA Ray Scholarship recipient. Zach, whose mom is a teacher, doesn’t come from an aviation background, but was absolutely smitten with this program and his Young Eagles experience. “I’m going to be a pilot,” he said with confidence. Within a few weeks he will start his flying training at nearby Stinson Airport. He’s already completed the Sporty’s course and dozens of hours of flight simulator time with his Chapter 35 mentor. Zach, EAA 1302705, plans to return to school as his class’s first pilot-student this fall.
Likewise, David Gonzalez IV, a junior sporting a student council shirt, was competitively selected to receive a full scholarship through Chapter 35 to attend the EAA Air Academy. “There’s a lot of discipline,” he said of the class. “Everything has to be really precise.” Unlike many of his peers, David didn’t hesitate when asked what his plans for the future are. “Oh, I think I’m going to be a pilot,” he said.
Chapter 35, assisted by the newly formed Chapter 1608, has provided dedicated Young Eagles opportunities for the students. For these students, a Young Eagles flight is a chance to tie together a year’s worth of training, building, and learning. The chapter mentors and pilots hope that for some this experience could be a life-defining event.
Rudy is justifiably proud. “We’ve built almost an aviation academy; we have something of everything — from design to building to flying,” he said. “Next year we’re talking about using SOLIDWORKS and a 3D printer to teach them to design and make parts. … The whole school is involved, and the district is super supportive. Even the art students will design the color scheme for the plane. It’s amazing really.”
Darren, who can rightfully take credit for bringing the school and chapter together, shared his thoughts on volunteering.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to teach a new skill to a young person and then see them teach a peer,” he said. “It’s sort of like ripples from a pebble tossed in a pond, it feels like we are creating positive ripples in the lives of the students. … At this stage in my life it really feels right to be investing in the next generation.”
While peering over a cup of coffee, Ron may have summed it up best. “It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.