LIFT Annual Report 2022

2022 Annual Report

In the Spring of 2020, an agreement was formed between Leadership in Flight Training Academy, LLC (LIFT) and Traders Point Christian Schools (TPCS) to work collaboratively in an effort to develop the LIFT Flight Path concept which is designed to provide an educational program for a new generation of aviation leaders.

Through the use of joint facilities and staff, the program is intended to provide a path for students to gain practical knowledge and hands-on skills related to each other’s processes and organizational culture. Through the generous support of LIFT, the program provides students with an affordable opportunity to participate in LIFT projects, internships, and externships and will build community awareness and support for LIFT Academy and careers in aviation.

2020-2021 School Year The LIFT Academy Exploration Center opened on the second floor of Traders Point Christian Upper School, complete with an in-class flight simulator. The program launched with 12 students who enrolled in the first-year program, Aviation 1. Unfortunately, COVID19 restricted any onsite visits to LIFT, discovery flights, or engagement opportunities this year.

2021-2022 School Year The program had an overall growth rate of 42 % at the start of the second year, increasing student enrollment from 12 to 17 students. Aviation 1 enrolled 12 new students for the fall semester. Aviation 2 launched with 5 students from the previous year progressing into the second year of the 4-year program. We believe the reason our retention rate was lower than expected from Aviation 1 to Aviation 2 is partly a result of the limitations surrounding COVID19 and the inability to get students in the air and engaged the previous year. Traders Point graduated their first aviation student with the intention of becoming a commercial airline pilot.

Jackson Kirk completed Aviation 1 and 2 at Traders Point and was officially accepted into LIFT Academy for the fall semester of 2022.

Upcoming 2022-2023 School Year The number of students continuing from Aviation 1 to Aviation 2 increased this year with a retention rate of 75%. We also had 3 additional students enroll in their first year of the program. While we had the potential to begin the third section of the program this fall, 4 out of the 5 students with the prerequisite of Aviation 2 graduated high school this year, with the other student relocating. We now anticipate launching Aviation 3 in the fall of 2023 and Aviation 4 in the fall of 2024.

Observations/Challenges

Starting grade level of the program Initially, we promoted Aviation 1 to students beginning in as early as 8th grade. However, we have found that students would likely benefit from waiting until 9th grade to start the program. This is partly due to the maturity that is required when participating in site visits and discovery flights.

Additionally, the curriculum in Aviation 2 requires prior knowledge of Integrated Chemistry and Physics to fully understand the aviation concepts discussed. This is a course that students aren’t eligible to take until 10th grade.

Solution: Aviation 1 will now be available to students beginning in 9th grade so that they have the Science pre-requisites before progressing on to Aviation 2. However, in an effort to start cultivating an interest in the LIFT program at an early age, we have added an 8th-grade starter course to prepare students for the 4-year LIFT program. PLTW (Project Lead the Way) Flight and Space, teaches students about the exciting world of aerospace. Through engaging hands-on lessons, students become engineers as they design prototypes, and test models to learn about the science of flight while solving real-world challenges in aviation. There are currently 9 students enrolled in this course for fall 2022.

MedCert Limitations We have found that some students may have a desire to pursue a career in aviation but are restricted due to mental and or physical conditions that prohibit them from passing a med cert.

The med cert is an FAA requirement in order for students to participate in the instructional flights that begin in Aviation 2.

Solution: Prior to enrolling in the LIFT program at TPCS, families are notified that a med cert will be required before advancing into Aviation 2. They are provided with the FAA website as a resource to view the eligibility guidelines to determine if the program is a good fit for their child. In the future, it could be beneficial for us to offer opportunities for students to work with other professionals in the industry for those who still desire a career in the field of aviation but are unable to become a pilot. This may include mechanics, air traffic control, and or flight attendants.

Administrative Workload While the instructor of the program facilitates the coursework and aligns the curriculum with engagement opportunities, TPCS underestimated the amount of time that would be required for administrative tasks. This includes coordinating onsite visits and flight times with LIFT and communicating with parents regarding their student’s progress, documentation requirements, and med certs.

Solution: TPCS has hired Ginger Smith, as the LIFT Program Administrator for the 2022-23 school year. Ginger will work closely alongside the course instructor, Hadley Wilson, to gain insight into our unique partnership and to become familiar with the AOPA curriculum and the aligned engagement activities.

As the Program Administrator, Ginger will oversee all of the administrative tasks including scheduling at LIFT and parent communication. She will attend onsite visits and student flight opportunities at LIFT and will work to find additional opportunities for community engagement and recruitment. While Ginger has a background in teaching, she has a passion for aviation, serving as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines for over 18 years.

Program Development

4 Year Program Outline / Curriculum TPCS is partnering with LIFT to build out a 4-year aviation education program that could eventually be replicated in other local high schools. Since the initial launch of the program, we have been able to evaluate the AOPA curriculum, student engagement, and enrollment trends.

While the curriculum is engaging and fulfills the knowledge-based requirements for students interested in pursuing a career in aviation, we feel the best way to keep students engaged and achieve high retention rates is to align the coursework with experiential learning. This is accomplished through frequent engagement opportunities such as discovery flights, instructional flights, onsite hangar visits, etc. TPCS proposes the following 4 Year Program Outline.

LIFT 4 Year HS Aviation Program

Marketing/Promotion Co-branded Commercial Marcus Painton, Multimedia Specialist for LIFT, worked closely with us this year to develop a cobranded commercial. The 2 min spot launched in early June on various digital platforms. youtu.be/9w8aVmfyk4s Designated LIFT Academy page on our website TPCS recently developed a new website with a designated page for the LIFT Program. This page includes multiple photos and promotional videos highlighting LIFT with built-in CTAs.

New Campus Branding A new exterior sign has been placed at the entrance of our Upper School campus promoting the LIFT program and the partnership with LIFT/Republic Airways.

TPCS is working to create a more engaging classroom environment in the LIFT Academy Exploration Center. This includes the addition of new wall graphics and aviation props such as airline seating.

Co-branded sweatshirts are delivered to each new student who enrolls in the LIFT program at TPCS

Tiered Aviation Courses Offered Aviation 1 and 2 are currently available for students in grades 9-12 New in 2022 - PLTW Flight and Space. Offered to 8th-grade students in an effort to cultivate an early interest in the 4 year LIFT program.

Aviation 3 projected to launch in the fall of 2023 Aviation 4 projected to launch in the fall of 2024

Curriculum

TPCS utilizes the AOPA High School STEM Curriculum for its student’s coursework. The AOPA High School Aviation Initiative offers a free four-year, six-course, two pathway (pilot and UAS pilot) curriculum to high schools across the United States. Currently, there are approximately 400 teachers in 322 schools in 44 states using the curriculum to prepare a diverse set (40% students of color, 21% female students) of 10,000 students for careers as manned pilots, drone pilots, and other aviation STEM professionals.

Schools may opt to teach one, some, or all of the six courses in the curriculum based on their program’s needs. The AOPA Foundation provides curriculum access, and video-based teacher initial professional development free of charge, thanks to the generous donations to the AOPA Foundation. Initial and ongoing teacher and program support are also free of charge.

This curriculum is intended for teachers to use in a formalized education setting as a credit-bearing course. The curriculum is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core State Standards and through crosswalks can be aligned to individual state standards.

Courses are designed for students in 9th-12th grade. Each course is a turn-key set of high-quality instructional and assessment resources written by an expert team comprised of veteran teachers, curriculum professionals, pilots, and flight instructors. The curriculum is delivered in electronic format to all teachers through the AOPA website. Every one of the lessons that make up each year-long course includes everything that a teacher needs to provide rigorous and exciting project-based learning experiences: 5E model lesson plans aligned to CCSS and NGSS Teacher presentations with embedded instructional safe video links Student activities and projects, project rubrics, and materials lists Extension activities for enrichment and strategies for inclusion Evaluating student growth and performance is easy with AOPA-provided formative and summative assessments within each lesson, unit quizzes and exams, and semester pre-and post-tests.

Included with the curriculum is an outstanding initial and ongoing professional development and teacher support program. Initial professional development is provided for teachers who will be teaching any of the courses for the first time. The initial training is mandatory and is offered in multiple formats that provide teachers with options to meet their own learning styles and to fit their busy schedules. Ongoing professional development will be available to all teachers during the school year via webinars and other electronic formats. AOPA social media groups, the AOPA High School Initiative Team, and AOPA’s rich library of educational resources provide a wealth of information to support teachers in their instructional journey.

More information can be found at youcanfly.aopa.org/high-school

Semester

Semester 1

Launching Into Aviation Course Outline

Semester 2

Exploring Aviation and Aeropspace

Course Outline

9th Grade Aviation 1

The ninth-grade course will provide the foundation for advanced exploration in the areas of flying, aerospace engineering, and unmanned aircraft systems. Students will learn about engineering practices, problem-solving, and the innovations and technological developments that have made today’s aviation and aerospace industries possible.

Students will look at the problem-solving practices and innovative leaps that transformed space exploration from the unimaginable to the common in a single generation. Students will also gain historical perspective, starting from the earliest Course Outline flying machines and leading to the wide variety of modern aircraft and the integral role they play in making today’s world work.

This core aerospace and aviation course provides the foundation for both pathways. It is designed to give students a clear understanding of career opportunities in aviation and aerospace and the critical issues affecting the aviation system.

Students will also begin to drill down into the various sectors of aviation and the elements that make up the aviation and aerospace ecosystem. They will discover how advances in aviation created a need for regulation and will learn about the promulgation of civil aviation oversight.

Students will explore modern innovations and develop their own innovative ideas to address real-world challenges facing the aviation industry. They will be exposed to a variety of career options in aviation and aerospace and take an in-depth look at the opportunities available. For schools offering multiple pathways, this course will allow students to begin to define their individual interests.

Semester

Semester 1

Introduction to Flight

Course Outline

Semester 2

Exploring Aviation and Aeropspace

Course Outline

10th Grade Aviation 2

In the Introduction to Flight Course, students pursuing the pilot and UAS tracks will take a closer look at the aircraft they may one day operate. Students will begin with an exploration of the types of aircraft in use today before going on to learn how aircraft are made and how they fly. Students will understand how aircraft are categorized, be able to identify their parts, and learn about aircraft construction techniques and materials.

They will gain an in-depth understanding of the forces of flight—lift, weight, thrust, and drag—including how to make key calculations. They will then touch on aircraft design, looking at stability, aircraft controls, and maneuvering flight. The course will conclude with a focus on career skills related to these topics.

Course Outline

In the Aircraft Systems and Performance course, students in the UAS and Pilot tracks will take an in-depth look at the systems that make manned and unmanned aircraft work as well as the instrumentation powered by those systems. Beginning with aircraft powerplants and fuel systems, students will learn about the different options available and how they affect aircraft design and performance. They will go on to explore other key aircraft systems, including electrical, pitot-static, and vacuum systems.

Throughout, they will learn about the flight instruments associated with each system and how to identify and troubleshoot common problems. This unit also covers airplane flight manuals, the pilot's operating handbook, and required aircraft documents. Finally, students will learn about the factors that affect aircraft performance and how to determine critical operating data for aircraft.

Semester

Semester 1

The Flying Environment Course Outline

Semester 2

Pilot Pathway Flight Planning

Course Outline

11th Grade Aviation 3

After having prepared for the Private Pilot Knowledge Test and Part 107 Remote Pilot Test in the previous year, students will examine advanced aviation topics and aviation career options. Instrument flight, commercial aviation, and advanced aircraft systems begin the semester. Looking into the future, students will then explore new horizons in the aerospace industry. What might aviation look like five, ten, or 20 years into the future? The focus then turns to business development opportunities in aviation. Finally, students will learn about and conduct different types of research in preparation for their capstone project in the second semester.

Course Outline

The Flight Planning course will cover the remaining topics necessary for students to take the Federal Aviation Administration's Private Pilot Knowledge Test. Students will learn pilot and aircraft qualifications, cross-country flight planning, weight and balance, performance and limitations, human factors, chart use, night operations, navigation systems, and aeronautical decision making. Students will be provided the opportunity to participate in multiple practice examinations. At the end of this course, a school may choose to arrange for students to be signed off to take the Federal Aviation Administration's Private Pilot written exam.

Semester

Semester 1 Pilot Pathway Preflight Your Career Course Outline

Semester 2

Pilot Pathway Capstone Experience Course Outline

12th Grade Aviation 4

This course is foundational for both manned and unmanned aviation, and will prepare students to take either of two Federal Aviation Administration tests: the Private Pilot Knowledge Test or the Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test. Topics include: preflight procedures, airspace, radio communications, aviation phraseology, regulations, airport operations, aviation safety, weather, cockpit management, and emergency procedures.

Course Outline

The capstone course is the culmination of the student learning experience. The students will work as individuals or in small groups to study and report on an approved aviation topic of their choosing. The goal of this capstone course is to allow students to demonstrate an understanding of a contemporary topic in aviation as it relates to flying.

The curriculum will include presentations and activities to help guide student research and project development as well as suggestions for topics or projects that can be adapted to match available resources.