GRAND RAPIDS — Coit Creative Arts Academy in Grand Rapids, Michigan, partnered with West Michigan Flight Academy to launch an after-school program teaching fourth and fifth graders to fly airplanes. Students in the program will take flight in a propeller airplane after classroom instruction.
Program participants spend several months in classroom instruction covering ground operations and in-flight procedures. Classroom activities for the program incorporate games and structured learning to teach aviation concepts. The aviation program is one of several after-school programs offered at Coit Creative Arts Academy.
Flight instructor Keith Rickle, a former airline pilot, explained that the program aims to help students explore potential career paths. "Even if it's not an aviation career, they find that, oh, there's things out there that I can do that I absolutely love to do." Rickle said. He added that the program also aims to help students overcome a fear of heights.
Student Kaiyah said, "It will actually be my first time ever being on a plane, so it's probably going to be scary, but also like really, really excited." Student Charlie said, "I used to have a fear of heights, but this class kind of helped me overcome that a little bit, so I'm just really excited to go."