Most of us certainly didn’t get the chance to fly an aircraft as we worked toward our high school diploma.
However, these days, co-op programs are readily available to high school students, the Algoma District School Board (ADSB) ramping it up a notch with its Aviation and Aerospace co-op program, one of several co-ops in its Specialist High Skills Major Program.
Nine ADSB students (six males and three females, from Grades 11 and 12), drawn from the board’s four high schools, are currently enrolled in the Aviation and Aerospace Specialist High Skills Major Program this semester.
The group, two at a time, enjoyed a flight in a four-seat Cessna 172 aircraft at the Sault Academy of Flight located on Sault Ste. Marie Airport property Saturday.
“I’ve always been really interested in aviation, in being a pilot,” said Kaija Karhi, a Grade 12 Central Algoma Secondary School (CASS) student, speaking to SooToday.
“I’ve enjoyed working on planes, learning about how they work, fixing the parts, there’s a lot of detail. I’m pretty sure I want to be a pilot and I’m thinking of joining the air force. I might do a military co-op next semester (at the Sault Ste. Marie Armoury) or I’ll take aviation at Sault College.”
Saturday marked Karhi’s second time flying aboard a small aircraft.
“Everything looks really small (when flying at a lower altitude in a small plane beneath the clouds) and even when you’re going fast (at 120 kph), it felt like we were going in slow motion. The trees looked really small, and going over the water you can see a lot of sandbanks,” Karhi said of her 45-minute flight.
Karhi and fellow student Brandon Barker, a Grade 12 Korah pupil, flying with local pilot Doug Snedden, had the opportunity to take the controls of the Cessna 172 for part of their flight.
“It was really cool,” Karhi smiled.
“I would definitely recommend this program to other students, people who want to be pilots or do hands-on learning,” Karhi said, adding one must be extra dedicated to the aviation co-op program.
“You can’t miss any days with this program.”
Each student rises early and reports to his or her hands on co-op placement for 8 a.m. Monday through Friday.
“I’m interested in the aviation field, but I’m not quite sure which sector, so this helps you determine where you want to go in this field. I really like the hands-on but I also like flying, so it’s a hard decision to make. I’m still deciding,” Barker said.
“It was interesting. I’ve only been on floatplanes before, so the wheeled planes on the runway were different. I’ll definitely go into the aviation field.”
“It’s always been my dream to be a pilot. I heard about this program and all the opportunities that are available in this industry right now. This is perfect timing for me. I’ve been on quite a few commercial flights but this’ll be my first time in a small aircraft, so I’m very excited,” said Ethan Bedley, a Grade 12 Korah Collegiate student.
“It’s been a ‘for sure’ thing for me for a long time, to be a pilot,” Bedley said, adding he enjoys being in the program’s structured environment with students of the same mindset, likening it to a college program.
“We’ve done lots of hands-on work at the Bushplane Museum learning how to rivet, learning how to work with sheet metal, learning a lot about the components of an aircraft, basic flight principles, working in the machine shop at Sault College, lots of cool things,” Bedley said.
Karhi’s co-op placement is at Springer Aerospace, Barker’s at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) hangar at the Sault Ste. Marie Airport.
“We’ve gotten really close with each other. We all hang out with each other after school. We’re all friends. It’s not competitive. We all help each other out, studying for tests and homework,” Karhi said.
Joe Luxton, Korah Collegiate-based ADSB teacher, came up with the idea of having an aviation-related program for the school board, one which all ADSB high school students may access.
This is the second year for the aviation program, eight students successfully completing it last year.
Students may acquire information about the program from their school’s guidance counsellor, then fill out an application (the board looking for Grade 11 and 12 students in particular), obtain teacher references and pass an interview in order to get into the program.
“It’s a specific clientele interested in it, and we’re able to draw students from all four of our high schools (CASS, White Pines, Superior Heights and Korah),” said Jennifer MacIntosh, ADSB Specialist High Skills Major lead.
“A couple of years ago I met Jennifer and I approached her because I had gone to school for aircraft structural repair and worked for six years for Bombardier, then I got into teaching. I told Jen my idea and it became a reality,” Luxton said.
After speaking with aviation industry partners and gaining support from the board, Luxton and MacIntosh now offer the program in the first semester of the academic school year (currently hoping to get enough students enrolled to also offer it in the second semester).
Industry partners providing co-op placements for the program’s students include Sault College, JD Aero, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), Humphrey Aircraft Services, Springer Aerospace, the Sault Ste. Marie Airport and the Sault Academy of Flight.
As part of the program, Luxton introduces students to tools and hands-on experience with aircraft components as well as an aircraft simulator at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre.
“We’re trying to get them enthused and plant the seed of interest in them for aviation. I try to expose them to every sector of aerospace,” Luxton said.
Students get introduced to the many parts of an aircraft, working in stores handing over parts needed by aircraft mechanics, filing reports on repairs performed by mechanics, as well as job shadowing aircraft mechanics and air traffic controllers.
“They’re very engaged. It’s kind of intense for them once in a while because they’re involved in Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO) shops and integrity is very high. There are some pressures for them, but so far so good. I’ve just received the evaluation sheets back from all the sector co-op placements and there’ve been raving reviews,” Luxton said.
“This group I have is very responsible. They’re doing very well, and they’re representing the program amazingly. The integrity has to be high in this program.”
It’s a sweet deal for students enrolled in the program, MacIntosh explained, as they still earn four credits toward their high school diploma while being away from the conventional classroom environment throughout the semester.
Students earn a transportation, technology and light aircraft credit, a machine shop credit and two co-op credits as well as a fifth postsecondary credit from Sault College if they wish to continue their education at the college after high school.
Luxton said two students from last year’s program have graduated and are working at JD Aero, another currently studying aircraft maintenance and repair at Fanshawe College, and another studying to become a pilot at MAG Aerospace Canada in Sudbury.
Luxton said several students from this year’s co-op group have already decided to choose a career in aviation.
That’s gratifying for a man who has been able to combine his aviation experience with teaching young people.
“It’s amazing. I didn’t know this could happen. When I went to high school back in the day there wasn’t much in aviation but now there’s a big need for pilots and aircraft repair, and right here in Sault Ste. Marie. You don’t have to leave this area for work,” Luxton said.
“I think it’s fantastic. The experience is second to none,” MacIntosh added.
There are other Specialist High Skills Major Program opportunities for ADSB students in several sectors, including Arts and Culture, Business, Construction, Energy, Environment, Health and Wellness, Hospitality and Tourism, Information and Communications Technology, Manufacturing, Non-Profit and Sports.