Taking Flight with Tango Flight
Grecia Padilla Carranco, Photography Editor
March 6, 2025
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Aava Mostaghasi and Nicolas Ybarra laugh as they work diligently on the cockpit controls. Photo by: Grecia Padilla
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS—At Flour Bluff High School, students enrolled in the Tango Flight program are not just learning about aviation, but are building their own plane. This hands-on Career and Technical Education (CTE) class has become a cornerstone of the school’s offerings, combining teamwork, technical skills, and real-world application to provide students with a unique educational experience.
The ultimate goal of the program is to build an RV-12 from scratch. This is a small aircraft designed for training pilots. By the end of the year, the students will have the opportunity to fly it.
Students like juniors Jolina Matos, Christian Vines and Spencer St. John are eager to share their experiences, making it clear that this program is much more than just a project. It’s about gaining the knowledge and skills to succeed in a future career in aviation, engineering, or related fields.
Through challenges such as learning how to use tools, learning how to work together, and staying focused. The students of Tango Flight are setting themselves up for success in their future careers.
To build this aircraft, the students work in small groups, each focusing on different parts of the plane’s construction, using professional tools and techniques.
Jolina Matos is a dedicated participant in the program. Her motivation to take the class is because of her interest in aviation years prior.
“The Tango Flight program is a CTE class where we’re instructed to build an RV-12,” Matos said. “I Joined because I’ve had a big interest in aviation since I was young and hope to pursue a career as a pilot.”
For her, the reward comes not just from building a plane, but from accomplishing milestones along the way.
“It’s been very rewarding to finish bigger projects of the build. For example, I worked on the left wing for the majority of the first semester, and it was really nice to have completed it.” Matos said..
The satisfaction of seeing progress encourages students like Matos to keep learning about their passions, in this case, aviation.
A core element of the Tango Flight program is teamwork. As students work on various sections of the plane, they must communicate effectively, solve problems together, and depend on each other’s strengths to get the job done.
Christian Vines, who aspires to be a Navy pilot, emphasizes the importance of working together.
Although the process hasn’t been without its struggles, Vines notes how overcoming challenges helped his team grow stronger.
Jolina Matos studies hard as she does calculations for the design of the craft. Photo by: Grecia Padilla
“Many mistakes were made in properly building the wing–drilling holes too big or not riveting a hole straight,” Vines said. “But even though it was tough at times, it built my teamwork with my group and helped me make many friends and connections for my future in aviation.”
For Spencer St. John, the class has taught him a lot about collaboration and problem-solving.
“We all get along and bounce ideas off each other, which can give us a better idea of what to do without messing it up,” St. John said.
St. John’s group recently worked on the plane’s flight controls, a task that requires careful attention and teamwork.
“We were all new to wiring, so we had to learn from scratch, but eventually, we got everything to work and connect, and we got it done.” St. John said.
"Measure twice, cut once!" Photo by: Caleb Harris
It’s not all smooth sailing when building a plane from scratch. Throughout the year, students are faced with challenges that test their problem-solving abilities and perseverance. Whether it’s figuring out how to use complex tools, addressing mistakes in construction, or learning new skills, each hurdle is an opportunity for growth.
Matos reflects on one of the challenges faced while working on the left wing.
“Since it was a bigger project, there was another group working on it in the earlier class periods, and there was miscommunication. Two pieces got messed up, and we had to wait a couple of weeks for a new piece to come in. But in that time, we found other smaller projects to work on,” Matos said. “It was a good lesson in patience and resourcefulness.”
St. John agrees with Matos’ sentiment about learning new things through the process of trial and error.
“One of the more interesting parts about the flight controls for me was that Mr. Harris didn’t know exactly what was going on with them either,” St. John said.
“But [Mr. Harris] still participated in doing them, which made it more fun. We all had to figure it out together.”
St. John’s group also encountered a challenge when they dropped a piece of the flap on bending it, which meant they had to unbend. But in the end, their perseverance paid off.
“The most exciting part about building the plane is waiting to see what we’ve done so far is going to work,” St. John said. “When it does work, it’s incredibly exciting.”
The skills students learn in the Tango Flight program are not limited to just aviation-related knowledge. Throughout the course, students develop a wide range of transferable skills that will serve them well in any future career.
“I’ve learned a lot more about mechanical tools and how they work.” Matos said.
From learning how to use tools like drills, saws, and rivet guns to gain a deeper understanding of mechanical engineering, the skills students develop in Tango Flight are invaluable.
“Going in, I had very little knowledge of things like band saws or rivet guns, but now I use them nearly every week. It’s amazing to see how much I’ve grown in terms of my confidence with these tools.” Matos said.
St. John also highlights the practical skills he has gained.
“I’ve learned many different types of rivets, and I’ve learned how to use riveters, rivet guns, pneumatic drills, and many different tools to deal with wiring,” St. John said. “All of these tools and techniques have made this class more worth it than I could have ever imagined.”
For Vines, the program has broadened his perspective on leadership and responsibility.
“This program has made me a better leader,” Vines said.
Photo by: Caleb Harris
The success of the Tango Flight program wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated guidance of the teacher who supports the students. Mr. Harris, the program’s instructor, plays a key role in facilitating the students’ growth and learning.
His hands-on approach and commitment to the program make him a valuable asset to the student educational experience.
“Mr. Harris is very hands on,” Matos said.
“He’s working on the plane with us every step of the way. We talk about the plans and make sure we all understand the things we're about to do,” Matos said.
Spencer agrees, adding, “He is super nice. He knows just about as much as we do about the plane which makes it interesting because he contacts tango flight.”
Photo by: Caleb Harris
In addition to Mr. Harris, students also benefit from the expertise of professionals from CCAD (Collin County Aviation Design), who come once a week to offer guidance and share their knowledge of the aviation industry.
“There are also people from CCAD who come to support us in building our plane,” Vines explains. “With this partnership we are able to expand our knowledge of the aviation industry more so because most of them are engineers, pilots, and those who have built planes to begin with.”
The Tango Flight program is not for the faint of heart. It requires dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn. But the rewards are immense and the students who have been part of this program have some great advice for future students.
Matos advises, “take the pre-requirements and don't think this is a blow off class. While it is fun we do have assignments and tasks everyday that need to be done if we want to finish the plane. We have to respect the tools and parts and they are not cheap. This is not a class to goof around in.”
Vines encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity to gain real world skills. “This is an amazing opportunity to gain skills and learn how to work as a team, which can set you up in the real world no matter if you want a job in aviation or not. Although if you do want a job in aviation this is the class to take because it is a very hands-on learning experience.”
St. John sums it up, saying, “This class is fun and Mr. Harris makes it fun, but you have to be willing to put in the time in labor into this plane and when you do, you will get so much more satisfaction out of it.”
As the students of Tango Flight continue their journey, they are not only building a plane–they are building the future. The skills, leadership qualities, and knowledge they gain from this program will serve them well in whatever career path they choose, whether it’s aviation, engineering, or another field.
The pride they take in their work, the friendships they form, and the real world experience they gain are all part of what makes the Tango Flight program an invaluable opportunity for Flour Bluff High School students.
For the Tango Flight students have had an eye opening experience.
“This program has really opened my eyes to the inner workings of plane engineering. While I had never considered the idea before, I think that if aviation wouldn't work out I would like to pursue a career in either engineering or airplane maintenance,” Matos says.
The students in the Tango Flight program after touring the Corpus Christi International Airport Control Tower
Vines shares a similar sentiment, “Although sometimes it was hard it built my teamwork with my group and has helped me make many friends and connections for my future in aviation.”
St. John concludes, “The plane is waiting to see what we have done so far is going to work and when it does work, it’s incredibly exciting.”
The future of aviation is in good hands with the next generation in theTango Flight program. Through their hard work, determination, and teamwork, they are not only building a plane–they are building a brighter future for themselves and for the aviation industry.
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