Bennington
Mount Anthony Union High School Airplane Project Takes Flight in Bennington
High school students across Bennington County are gaining hands-on engineering experience. They are assembling a real, flight-ready aircraft after school in Bennington. In the process, the teenagers are turning raw metal parts into a fully functional airplane.The project takes place…
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Key points
- Students at Mount Anthony Union High School and Southwest Tech in Bennington are building a two-seat Van’s RV-12 kit airplane.
- The aircraft is being assembled to strict factory standards for FAA Light Sport Aircraft certification under the guidance of industry volunteers.
- After completion and safety inspections, student builders will take flight before the plane is sold to fund future educational projects.
BENNINGTON, Vt. NewsWK — High school students across Bennington County are gaining hands-on engineering experience. They are assembling a real, flight-ready aircraft after school in Bennington. In the process, the teenagers are turning raw metal parts into a fully functional airplane.
The project takes place at the Southwest Tech workspace. This facility sits on the campus of Mount Anthony Union High School. Furthermore, volunteer instructors guide the extracurricular effort. The dedicated team has already logged more than one hundred work sessions.
Why it matters here
This hands-on initiative offers local youths direct exposure to high-demand careers in aviation, mechanics, and advanced manufacturing. Students work with precision tools and technical blueprints right here in Bennington. As a result, they avoid learning theory solely from textbooks.
Furthermore, technical programs like this strengthen our local workforce pipeline in Southern Vermont. Area employers constantly seek skilled craftspeople. Therefore, early training provides young people with practical skills. These abilities translate directly into well-paying technical careers.
How does the Bennington VT student airplane build work?
Students assemble a Van’s RV-12 two-seat, single-engine propeller aircraft from a specialized factory kit under direct supervision. Specifically, the team meets regularly during the academic year. Members rivet parts, align components, and rigorously inspect each step. This careful process ensures the plane meets strict federal aviation standards.
Volunteers and students paused the build during summer vacation. During that break, organizers safely hangared the partially assembled plane at the William H. Morse State Airport in Bennington. Now that the school year is underway, active assembly work has resumed inside the high school shop.
In addition, the initiative qualifies as an accredited educational program. Because of this status, Van’s Aircraft provided a discount on the kit. Grant funding and independent private donations support the ongoing tool and supply costs. Meanwhile, organizers continue to accept contributions from community members to help finish the build.
What makes the MAUHS RV-12 kit plane unique?
The team is assembling the kit to exact factory specifications. Consequently, the Federal Aviation Administration can certify it under the Experimental Light Sport Aircraft category. This precise standard teaches students authentic industrial practices. In addition, it ensures the finished plane retains maximum market value when sold.
Jim Sharkey, the volunteer guest instructor who launched the effort, highlighted the value of seeing individual parts become an aircraft. “I think when you do a lot of work on little pieces that do not look like anything, and then they grow and grow and grow into something that becomes an airplane you built with your own hands, there’s no substituting the reward and pride in that achievement,” Sharkey said.
Key details of the aircraft and build process include:
- Model: Van’s RV-12 two-seat, single-engine light aircraft
- Certification goal: FAA Experimental Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) status
- Location: Southwest Tech Bennington aviation workspace at MAUHS
- Summer storage: William H. Morse State Airport
- Next phase: Finalizing airframe assemblies and systems installation
Who leads the student aviation program Bennington initiative?
Experienced industry veterans volunteer their time to guide the program. Specifically, they teach technical discipline, shop safety, and mechanical tradecraft to local teenagers. These adult mentors bring decades of professional building experience directly into the school workspace. As a result, students receive high-caliber practical mentorship.
Drake Kolakowski, an MAUHS student who joined the build as a junior, praised the supportive environment and craftsmanship. “A little craftsmanship goes a long way, and rigging everything together and then seeing how it works is awesome to me,” Kolakowski said. He also noted that connecting with mentors made the assembly work even more engaging.
In addition, instructors emphasize that interested students need no prior mechanical background. Instead, volunteers ask only for a steady curiosity, patience, and a willingness to follow meticulous aircraft assembly plans.
What comes next for the Mount Anthony Union High School airplane project?
Once the team finishes assembly and passes required FAA airworthiness inspections, participating student builders will get the chance to fly in the plane. Next, organizers will sell the aircraft on the open aviation market. This sale will recoup expenses and fund future student builds.
Meanwhile, the program is actively welcoming new student participants from across the district. Interested teenagers and community members who wish to support the build can connect directly with project leaders at Southwest Tech.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by our editorial team.
Sources
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