Flour Bluff ISD’s Hornet Aviation Program is a unique program at Flour Bluff High School. The students learn a broad curriculum that is intended to introduce them to many possible careers in aviation. The most striking feature of the Hornet Aviation Program is the construction of a Vans RV-12iS aircraft through a partnership with the Tango Flight organization. Their build project is supported by generous volunteers from the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD) and several individuals in the community who volunteer their time and expertise to help our students. The Tango Flight partnership gives our students an industry-based curriculum in Aircraft Maintenance. The knowledge and skill they learn covers the basics of engines, aviation hardware, cutting, forming and drilling sheet metal, electronics and wiring.
When asked how students feel when they reach a big milestone in building the plane, Mr. Harris stated, “Students feel a huge sense of accomplishment when even their small part of the plane they are working on is finished and then set aside to wait for final assembly. When each wing was finished, students were able to look at the wing and say, ‘I built that.’” By learning how to follow directions carefully, keep their workstations clean and organized, and value precision and accuracy, students will be taking away much more from this course than just building a plane. They learn to value themselves, their team, and how to reach a goal that was set.
The Hornet Aviation Program also uses a second curriculum from Airplane Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) that is targeted at basic pilot knowledge and skills. This includes knowledge of how airplanes fly, how to read aeronautical charts, understanding air space classifications, weather information and services, and even how to read basic airplane instrumentation such as Altimeters, VORs, Attitude indicators, and much more. The Hornet Aviation Program also received the generous donation of two flight simulators from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.
To support the curriculum, the students take field trips to Corpus Christi Army Depot, Corpus Christi International Airport, Corpus Christi Air Traffic Control and several local aviation businesses such as Halo Flight, Sterling Air, and Splendid Aviation.
"I can tell them how to attach a nut plate on our RV-12iS, but to see the exact nut plate we use on a Blackhawk Helicopter or a King Air 360 hopefully makes what we are doing more real to the students." (Mr. Harris, HAP instructor).
The Hornet Aviation Program is a junior/senior 2-year class, but it begins before that. A prerequisite for the Aviation class is our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle class (also know as – Drone Class) taught by Mr. Medrano which is most commonly taken in a student’s sophomore year. In the UAV class students are introduced to aviation through learning how to pilot drones. During the UAV class, students can sign up for their Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot License exam.
Junior High students are introduced to the Hornet Aviation Program by our very own CTE students who make presentations to the 8th grade College and Career Exploration class. It builds a bridge for interested students, showing them what CTE looks like at the high school and helping them imagine themselves in these high school classes through the voices of students already enrolled.
Flour Bluff is invested in creating hands on learning in areas that specifically impact our local economy. The Hornet Aviation Program provides amazing experiences for any Hornet interested in a career in Aviation or any related field such as Engineering.
