Sky's the Limit

SKY’S THE LIMIT

Bismarck instructor teaches high school students how to fly airplanes

By Tom Gerhardt NDU Communications

Brad Stangeland’s eyes are calmly focused on the sky above Mandan Municipal Airport. Arms crossed, he’s waiting for one of his high school pilots, flying solo, to sweep in from the north, attempting another practice landing and take-off.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Stangeland, a Bismarck Public School aviation teacher at the Career Academy. Last summer he was approached by a local family to help their son get his private pilot’s license. Stangeland agreed and a couple of months later Nevin Fetzer achieved his goal. Local media picked up the story and that’s when the program literally took off.

Visit www.ndunited.org/news for a video story on Brad Stageland’s aviation class.

One of those stories caught the attention of longtime pilot and local OBGYN Dr. Bob Scarlett. He was so impressed, he called Stangeland and agreed to donate the use of his Cessna 150. The cost of aircraft rental had been a major roadblock preventing aspiring young pilots from getting real air time, and suddenly the aviation program had one at its disposal. By November 2017 the plane was in place, and since that time three more high school students have earned their private pilots licenses while seven more have flown solo with three more soon to join the ranks.

“I think we’re on a roll. I just can’t believe how much this thing exploded in one year,” Stangeland said. “This is not your standard classroom experience to talk about lecture and theory and trying to find ways to come up with projects to apply the knowledge, this is actually real-life flying. It’s the same type of certification, the same type of training any pilot has to go through.”

Around 60 students are enrolled in the aviation program this fall at the Bismarck Career Academy. Many are 15 or 16 years old – sophomores and juniors in high school.

“They have to be at least 16 to go by themselves, to go solo is what we call it, and they have to be at least 17 to get an actual license, which is the private pilot’s license, which is what we’re training for,” Stangeland said.

The list of students includes Braxton Glatt, who says the opportunity to fly was too good to pass up.

“Now there are lots of kids with the opportunity to get their private pilot’s license before they’re out of high school which is amazing for future career opportunities,” Glatt said.

Braxton’s mother, Corinna Glatt, says she was nervous about her son flying at first, especially because Braxton was flying before he even had a more common license

“My son has been in this aviation program for a while. He started last year, and then this year they have the actual opportunity to fly the airplane. He doesn’t have his driver’s license yet --actually he’s getting it in two weeks--and it’s great that he can be in the airplane flying even before he can drive.”

Bismarck Career Academy aviation teacher Brad Stangeland.

Gabe Hagerott is another young pilot who’s already flown solo and is working toward his pilot’s license. He’s grateful for Stangeland’s guidance and the program.

“Most people say if they didn’t have the Career Academy, they would have to go to, say, UND or another college out of state to start the flight training process. And that’s college, not high school, so we get about a two-year jump on them,” Hagerott said.

A Robert and Lois Watts grant, provided through the Bismarck Public Schools Foundation, helps fund the aviation program. Bob was well known in aviation, managing Capital Aviation in Bismarck. Lois taught Home Economics in Bismarck Public Schools for 24 years.

Stangeland, a Bismarck Education Association and North Dakota United member, is in his fourth year with Bismarck Public Schools. He says the aviation program saves the kids a lot of money and more importantly allows them to explore their interests and passions.

Stangeland says he sees a lot of himself in these young aviators, including the pure joy he finds in flying.

“When they actually, especially when I teach them how to land, it’s like they finally get it and they’re doing an awesome job and they can duplicate results over and over and over and then you start throwing scenarios at them for like emergencies and make them think outside the box and all this other stuff and they just thrive on it that’s a huge, huge proud moment for me,” Stangeland said.

Hagerott puts it best.

“It’s just a rush. It’s kind of like being in the the clouds is one of my favorite parts. There’s nothing like it, you know, being up high and just looking at everything. It’s so beautiful, it’s just amazing,” said Hagerott.