Drone academy opens world of aviation to female high school students
Drone academy opens world of aviation to female high school students
Even before the Wright Brothers lifted a plane off the ground at Kitty Hawk, the favorite form of aviation in America’s classrooms has been the humble paper airplane.
But the paper airplane’s hegemony is facing some stiff headwinds from the drones that are zipping around our skies in ever-increasing numbers. There are thousands of people who use drones for work or fun, and a growing share of the recreational users are high school students.
The Fly Like a Girl drone academy – or FLAG, for short – will add a few more to their ranks. The program is designed to stoke interest in aviation among female high school students, and its weeklong summer academy started last Monday and wrapped up Friday at South Fayette High School.
The participants hailed from schools around the Pittsburgh region, and throughout the week the girls were able to access commercial-grade drones and receive instruction on how to operate them from certified drone pilots. The weeklong academy was designed to prepare them for the Federal Aviation Administration’s test to become licensed to fly drones.
“If you look at the statistics, there aren’t many girls in the aviation industry,” according to Emily Sanders, deputy superintendent in the Hempfield School District. “They’ll be ready to take the FAA exam and that will open a lot of doors.”
Janeen Peretin, assistant to the superintendent in the Baldwin-Whitehall School, also pointed out that the girls are able to strike up friendships with students from other districts who share their interests.
“That’s the most beautiful part of it,” Peretin said.
About 15 students were enrolled in the program from about five or six districts. The academy met for four, five-hour sessions at South Fayette High School, and one day at Pittsburgh International Airport. The FAA exam the students could take after completing the academy makes sure drone pilots understand safety procedures, airspace rules and more.
As she and some of her fellow students lifted a drone off the ground, Daleah Mowat, a senior at Belle Vernon High School, explained that if you play video games “it will actually help you fly drones.” Standing near Mowat, Tara Delsignore, a junior at Baldwin High School, said, “I think I have a future in this.”
“It’s a huge field, and I’m excited about what’s to come with drones,” said Grace Misra, a junior at Upper St. Clair High School.