Local
Norman aviation students finish first aircraft after 2,500 hours of work
Students at Norman Public Schools’ Oklahoma Aviation Academy spent two years assembling a Van’s RV-12i and are now building a second plane. The hands-on program is also steering many graduates toward aviation, aerospace and engineering careers.
NORMAN, Okla. — Juniors and seniors at Norman Public Schools’ Oklahoma Aviation Academy have completed their first aircraft, a Van’s RV-12i, after roughly two years and 2,500 hours of assembly work. The students have begun building a second plane, which the program expects to finish by May.
The first aircraft was assembled from a kit, with students handling tasks including wiring and installing the engine and canopy, said Terry Adams, the academy’s director. The project gives students practical experience with the many components and skills involved in aircraft construction.
Norman High School junior Lauren Crossley said the experience helped her see the possibilities of aviation beyond what she had previously known. She said it was exciting to have helped build something that could eventually fly.
The academy is one of a small number of Oklahoma schools offering this kind of aircraft-building program. Adams said it was among about four or five schools in the state doing similar work at the time he spoke.
Students are now applying what they learned to the next aircraft. Norman High senior Alex Morris described the process as watching many small parts come together into a complete plane.
The program’s first four-year student cohort graduated last year. Adams said more than 70% of that group are continuing toward careers in aviation, aerospace or engineering, fields the program aims to introduce through hands-on training.