Special Program at Donald Kline Technical School Funds Pilot Training
The Donald Kline Technical School in Hudson, N.Y., a public high school, creates opportunities for high school juniors and seniors to get into aviation and earn their private pilot licenses and instrument ratings for little or no cost.
Radek Wyrzykowski, the innovation teacher at Kline, introduced Ava Noel, one of his latest students, to Aero-News at SUN ’n FUN. Noel is a graduating senior who has earned her private pilot certificate along with an instrument rating and other endorsements.
“Ava Noel is a unique student. She is the only female aviation student out of the six seniors and 10 juniors in the program. We are trying to recruit more females to the program,” he said.
The technical high school offers different options, and Noel chose aviation.
Noel said studying was hard, especially ground school, and definitely the “flying was more fun.” But she said you have to keep a positive attitude. “You can have a couple of bad landings and ask yourself, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ But one bad lesson does not make you a bad pilot.”
Noel had a 35-minute commute to the school each way because she lived outside the district.
The program is funded by an educational cooperative, Questar III, and is primarily funded through a combination of component school district contracts, New York State aid, and grants.
“I saved so much money going through this program,” she said. She works part-time as a jet cleaner to make extra money and said she spent less than $1,000 to get all of her ratings. She is now headed to Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tenn. He goal is to become a commercial airline pilot for a regional airline.
She said she has always loved to travel, and being a pilot is a highly respected lifestyle. “You feel like you could do anything when you see the cockpit view from 40,000 feet.”
FMI: www.questar.org
