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In 2017 a group of pilots, teachers, and engineers came\ntogether to talk about how they could create a pipeline from surrounding\nschools to feed the demand for aviation professionals. Rather than being short\nrange or locally focused, the discussion expanded to including the entire\nwestern region of North Carolina and the adjacent portions of Georgia and\nTennessee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Needing an organizational vehicle to pull the effort together, the Western Carolina Youth Aviation Foundation<\/a> <\/strong>(WCYAF) was officially founded in 2019 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. Donations started pouring in, and the foundation members formed a scholarship program and a web site for students and parents (WCYAF.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, Lisa Turner, a foundation director, had just finished a book about building and flying her first airplane in the 1990s, called Dream Take Flight<\/em>. She gave a box of books to the Hayesville High School and the local community college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just about building and flying airplanes. It\u2019s about setting and reaching life goals. I hope as many young people read it as possible,\u201d said Lisa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A kit airplane was donated to the program, teachers gave their time to set up simulators, and the Western Carolina Regional Airport (KRHP) manager, a flight instructor, gave his time to introduce students to flight. A local drone expert agreed to talk to students about his business and even teach classes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020 the foundation decided to expand its role to the local community college as well as surrounding schools. The kit airplane and the simulators are being set up at the airport, bringing together a broad range of aviation educational tracks. Two applications for flight training scholarships have already been submitted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we delight in the convergence of serendipities bringing so much passion and competence to our aviation effort, we also realize the potential for spreading the effort out into other areas. Can we \u201cblueprint\u201d the path to success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a monkey wrench into the activities and the schedule, we believe aviation will come roaring back. We are taking this time to evaluate our progress to date and develop the training we can deliver now \u2013 such as the flight simulators – while also practicing distancing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Introducing aviation curriculum into the science programs at high schools, such as the AOPA effort, is only part of the story. The \u201cblueprint\u201d must also include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/WCYAF-Recieves-Proceeds-from-Dream-Take-Flight-Salesedit.jpg\")