6 minute read
Every Student Flies” in Aspen
The Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, also known as Sardy Field, is one of the most challenging airports in the U.S. to fly in and out of for reasons of geography. It sits at 7,820 feet of elevation and is closely surrounded by mountains. A visit to the airport’s listing on the Airnav website provides the following warnings in the Additional Remarks section: “Airport located in high mountain valley with mountainous terrain from 12,500 – 14,000 feet MSL in near proximity to airport. Terrain will not allow for normal traffic patterns. High rates of descent may be required due to terrain and local procedures. All adverse weather situations magnified in the mountains. Operations during periods of reduced visibility discouraged for pilots unfamiliar with area.” Quite the challenge, even for experienced pilots. But this type of airport can be the perfect place for students to learn to fly. If you can fly in and out of Aspen, you can probably handle almost any airport! And this is the exact place where every student at the Aspen Public High School will get the opportunity to experience their first flight.
The Aspen Flight Academy, located at Sardy Field, is a non-profit flight training school that provides youth and adults with classroom and flight training to obtain Private, Instrument and Commercial flight ratings. They partnered with the Aspen School District and recently launched a youth aviation education program which is the first of its kind in the nation.
The “Every Student Flies” program provides a free dual instruction flight lesson to every student at the Aspen Public High School, with enrollment this semester being just over 550 students.
Each student will be offered a free flight lesson with an FAA Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) in a Diamond DA40 aircraft. After the flight, students will be given a private tour of the airport’s Air Traffic Control tower, along with tours of local aviation companies on the airfield. A takeaway package will be provided to each student containing information on colleges, universities and technical schools with aviation programs, along with information on career opportunities in all fields of aviation including piloting, air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, airport management, and more.
This new program was created by Captain Michael Pearce, a Boeing 777 international pilot for American Airlines and President of the Aspen Flight Academy’s
Board of Directors. “We are excited to launch this one-of-a-kind program to offer every Aspen High School student the chance to experience flight and learn about careers in aviation,” said Captain Pearce.
The program is managed by Ms. Kate Short, Director
of Aviation for the Aspen School District. Ms. Short is a K-12 educator and pilot, holding ratings through
multi-engine instrument. “This program is unique in that we are able to offer these experiences to public
high school students at no cost to their families,” said Ms. Short. In addition to leading the program and
taking many of the students on their flights (there are two other CFIs supporting the program), Ms. Short
also teaches four aviation courses at the high school: Aviation Exploration (the AOPA curriculum for 9 th
graders), Private Pilot Ground School, Introduction to Instrument, and Mountain Flying. The school also has a Redbird FMX simulator available to the students for additional training, especially during inclement weather, along with seven desktop Redbird Jay simulators.
The aviation community has been extremely supportive of this program, with several organizations providing donations to the students to support their entry into aviation careers. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is providing each student a “Young Eagles Kit”, which contains many items including a logbook, EAA student membership, free access to Sporty’s “Learn to Fly” course, one written test reimbursement, and one additional free flight lesson. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) also donated student memberships. Women in Aviation International (WAI) is giving every student a copy of the Aviation for Women magazine, and Ms. Short plans to start a WAI Aspen chapter later this year, which will provide educational, networking and mentorship opportunities to the female students.
The program’s leaders hope that some of the students will love flying so much that they will enroll in the flight training program at the Aspen Flight Academy to pursue a Private Pilot Certificate. In order for students to have the highest quality experience for their introductory and subsequent flights, the Diamond Aircraft Company agreed to a long-term purchase agreement to provide two DA40-NG model aircraft to the Aspen Flight Academy every year for the next 10 years. This will ensure the high school students are flying the newest aircraft with the latest technology onboard.
Two other nonprofit organizations in the Roaring Fork Valley of Aspen provided significant support to this program through financial contributions - the Aspen Education Foundation and The BettyFlies Foundation. The Aspen Education Foundation champions public education, raising money to fund programs and positions of distinction in the community. Their vision is that every child in Aspen has access to an extraordinary public education, believing that all students deserve “rigorous academics and a multitude of beyond classroom educational experiences that inspire curiosity and a love of learning.”
The BettyFlies Foundation funds aviation-related programs that encourage personal development and create Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education opportunities for young people, inspiring and empowering our next generations. It is also dedicated to sustaining the legacy of female aviation hero Betty Haas Pfister. Betty’s daughter, Suzanne Pfister, Founder and President of the BettyFlies Foundation, believes the Every Student Flies program could make a real difference in the lives of young people.
The ultimate goal of the “Every Student Flies” program is to introduce students to the world of aviation, hoping to light a spark in some to ignite their futures. The program’s leaders also hope that other public high schools across the country will be excited about this program and look into doing something similar in their communities.
Jill Meyers, Owner of Meyers AeroConsulting, is an aviation management consultant and professional public speaker. She managed the media and public relations effort for the launch of the Every Student Flies program.
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