The teenagers who built a plane in Flour Bluff are waiting with anticipation to see how well it will fly.
Over the past 2½ years, participants in Flour Bluff High School’s Hornet Aviation program have built a small airplane. The complete aircraft was unveiled on Feb. 12 at an event celebrating the aviation program.
Once the plane has been inspected and test-flown, the school district will arrange a time for students to see the plane fly, likely in a month or so.
“We have an inventory of parts, and the day that the last part came off the shelves, that really cemented it for us,” Hornet Aviation teacher Caleb Harris said. “There’s nothing else for us to do other than now test the plane.”
In the meantime, they’ve already begun work on a second plane.
The program is half aviation knowledge and half building planes, senior Bradley Smith said.
The school partnered with Tango Flight for the plane-building portion. The educational nonprofit provides curriculum and logistics for about two dozen similar high school aviation programs across the country.
Seeing the complete plane is “breathtaking,” said Linda Medley, Flour Bluff Independent School District deputy superintendent. Medley was principal at Flour Bluff High School when the program began.
The process was not without its hiccups — supply chain issues delayed the arrival of certain parts, the teacher for the program changed after the first year, and at the start, the district had to think creatively to find the right space for the program.
Flour Bluff High School construction students built the tables and shelves to outfit the aviation workshop.
Aviation students learned to work with metal and fiberglass. Volunteers from the Corpus Christi Army Depot provided mentorship for the students.
The level of workload at the army depot can shift rapidly, Lt. Col. Kenneth Ferguson said. When the workload increases, the army depot needs to be able to quickly increase the workforce, he said.
“It’s important for us to partner with educational institutions that have students who are interested in aviation,” Ferguson said.
Corpus Christi Army Depot Commander Col. Kevin Consedine said the program is a good example of education, industry and community coming together.
“To these students, it’s important that you understand this — you were held to a professional standard because everybody in this room knew that is exactly what you were capable of doing,” Consedine said at the event. “You rose to the challenge, and that aircraft is the result.”
Retired airframe and powerplant mechanic Doug Stadler has volunteered as a mentor for the Flour Bluff program since it began.
Stadler described teaching students to use a rivet gun and watching as they learned to follow the plans and put the plane together.
“It’s amazing,” Stadler said. “I get a kick out of working with the kids, and I’m just really amazed at how good of a job and great of a job I’ve seen all of them doing.”
Stadler, who had a long career at United Airlines, said it’s a good career.
“We all joined because we like aviation,” senior Christian Vines said. “Working on the plane solidified that pathway for us.”
Vines plans to take part in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University next fall. Smith plans to attend the United States Naval Academy.
Senior Jolina Matos has enlisted to join the U.S. Navy after high school. Junior Katareana Womack plans to start flight school.
“Think about the stories these kids will be able to tell their kids and their grandkids when they ask, ‘What did you do at Flour Bluff High School?'” Flour Bluff ISD Superintendent Chris Steinbruck said. “‘I just happened to walk alongside the most successful and most skilled aviation mechanics in the world to build an airplane.'”
Building upon the success of this program, the district is adding a maritime pathway.
Flour Bluff voters approved a bond in 2025 that is funding the construction of a new career and technical education facility.
Contact education reporter Olivia Garrett at olivia.garrett@caller.com.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Flour Bluff students complete build on first airplane
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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