Youth across Clark County are soaring to new heights through a program aimed at educating underserved communities about the world of aviation.
Portland-based nonprofit Airway Science for Kids Inc. introduces young people to the world of aviation and aerodynamics, along with the applied mathematics and engineering that underpin those fields. Supporting students from elementary through high school, Airway Science offers real flight experience, aerospace education classes and the opportunity to eventually build a plane from scratch through the Teen Flight program.
This summer, Airway Science is using the Pearson Field Education Center for its first Expedition Aerospace Summer program. In partnership with Bienestar — a Portland nonprofit that works with immigrant communities and builds housing — a dozen students spend four days a week learning on simulators and eventually taking flight.
“One of the 12 might decide they want to be a pilot. None of them might decide they want to be a pilot, but what they do know is they can do things that they didn’t know they could three weeks ago,” said Julia Cannell, Airway Science executive director.
Taking flight
The skies were cloudy Tuesday morning when Jaylen Palmer, an Airway Science chief pilot, took flight with Erika Higuera, a student enrolled in the summer program. Palmer is also a part-time flight instructor and in his second year of school at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“All of it has been gradual. You don’t just jump into the plane and start working on it. You start small then build yourself up,” Palmer said. “Even from getting my first pilot license to now, I’ve still been able to get the continued support from Airway Science.”
Palmer and Higuera set off from Pearson Field Airport for a quick flight across Portland in a hand-built RV-12iS plane.
The plane they used was built three years ago by former students who participated in Teen Flight. An RV-12iS typically takes a year or two to build, Palmer said.
This upcoming school year, a new batch of about 20 students will spend each Saturday in Hillsboro, Ore., working on the ninth RV-12iS plane. One of those students is Palmer’s sister, Kyla.
Kyla Palmer has been working with Airway Science since the fifth grade and wants to earn her pilot’s license, although she also wants to explore the medical field.
Cannell said Airway Science supports its students even if they don’t choose to become a pilot. It’s about exposing them to things they didn’t think were possible, she said.
Bridging the gap
Part of Airway Science’s mission is to provide underserved youth with opportunities they may not have been exposed to otherwise.
Cannell said 56 percent of participants are students of color, and 80 percent come from low-income communities. The nonprofit is funded primarily through the Oregon Department of Education.
Programs, transportation and flight education are completely free to students who want to join. About 1,500 hours of air time is required to become a commercial pilot, which can cost anywhere from $55,000 to $100,000.
Once students finish building the plane through Teen Flight, they’re able to use it to complete their hours, without worrying about fuel costs, rental fees or paying a private flight instructor.
“We know that transportation is one of the biggest barriers for getting youth into our programs. The disparity is still huge. A big part of my job is working with the industry,” Cannell said. “I’m the one who gets to walk into a board room and tell a bunch of executives that their culture still needs some help.”
Airway Science also provides curricula with partner school districts to provide a bilingual introduction to aerospace that can be used in elementary school classrooms or as after-school programs.
The nonprofit works closely with Cascadia Tech Academy in Vancouver to reach more students, Cannell said. Partnerships with Boeing and Alaska Airlines help students get accepted into internships.
“Aviation is still a very male-dominated, white industry and so I want our kids to know where those opportunities are. We have a whole bunch of things that we can do and customize them for each student,” Cannell said. “For me, my passion is being able to introduce other kids to what aviation can do.”
