High school students graduate from museum’s first ground school

SEATTLE — July 10 was graduation day for 50 high school students in The Museum of Flight’s first Private Pilot Ground School.

The three-week aeronautical science class was done in partnership with the museum, Raisbeck Aviation High School, and Puget Sound Skills Center.

The course was designed to explore the world of aviation and prepare students for the FAA private pilot written exam.

Using the high school’s classroom facilities, the ground school was taught by two Raisbeck Aviation High School teachers, who are also FAA Certified Flight Instructors.

Students participated in hands-on activities in the Museum’s Aviation Learning Center including pre-flighting a Cirrus aircraft, completing computer based experiments in the learning laboratory, and flying the advanced flight simulators.

The program also integrated field trips to the Restoration Center and Reserve Collection at Paine Field and the Boeing factory. Guest speakers such as Museum Trustee and retired airline pilot Anne Simpson, KING 5 TV meteorologist/pilot Jeff Renner, and other airline pilots and aviation industry leaders were also invited to speak to the students.

The ground school is one of the many programs the Museum intends to open to high school students to prepare them for aerospace careers, and the first one to take aim at a specific exam required for FAA pilot certification. It is offered for a $35 registration fee.

The students earn academic credit for the course, which is added to their high school transcript as a record for college admissions representatives and future employers, museum officials noted.