LINCOLN, Nebraska — Lincoln North Star High School held a ceremony Dec. 4, 2023, to commemorate the completion of a new $5.4 million hangar-style addition to the school’s Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program.
The program is centered around creating interest in aviation and training the next generation of pilots, technicians, engineers, dispatchers, and flight instructors, according to school officials.
More than seven years ago, the idea of a Lincoln Public Schools program focused on aviation curriculum started.
Duncan Aviation, which is based in Lincoln, partnered with the school system and North Star to create an Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program to expose students to the “endless opportunities” in aviation. There were 150 students enrolled in aviation courses during the 2019 school year, and that number jumped to 215 students in 2021.
It became clear the school would need a dedicated space to accommodate the growing aviation focus program. Lead by Connie Duncan, wife of Duncan Aviation Board of Directors Chairman Todd Duncan, Duncan Aviation donated $3.34 million to the program, Duncan Aviation officials said.
With that, the multi-million dollar project began, moving the aviation department from a small, shared space, to a new 13,000-square-foot space near the front of the school, often referred to as one of the only public school airplane hangars in the nation.
Because of the upgrades, the program is now able to help more than 317 students learn about and pursue careers in aviation, company officials said.
Students now have the ability to take a new advanced aviation maintenance course and use industry-standard equipment to perform hands-on projects to mimic some of the skills that an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic needs to have.
I spent 3 years in the aviation program at Skyline High School in Dallas Texas in the early 1970’s. Our hanger was I believe about 40,000 sq feet, much larger than the facility in this article. I was there the first year it opened and graduated in 1974 and was able to come out of high school with an Airframe License. It was an experience that any aviation minded student SHOULD be able to experience. I went on to spend the next 40 years in most facets of aviation.
Wonderful story, uplifting ideas to bring Aviation Education directly to the youngest of students. But who dropped the ball and did not have a picture of this High School Hangar in Lincoln, NB???
As Paul Harvey said, “Here’s the rest of the story w/ pix/video…”.
I 💖 you GAN, but you needed to expound on this undertaking. We need more High Schools like this!
https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/lincoln-north-star-showcases-new-space-for-aviation-program/article_f438138e-92e0-11ee-a79c-4f4da56f22f4.html