PRYOR HIGH SCHOOL

INNOVATION CENTER

AVIATION & AERONAUTICS

Pryor Staff Attends 2023 AOPA Symposium

November 12-14, 2023

Pryor High School and the state of Oklahoma was well-represented at the recent Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) High School Aviation STEM Symposium in Orlando, Florida. The Pryor Aviation staff attended the event, eager to learn more about the latest advancements in aviation education and bring back valuable insights to their students. On Monday, Dr. Jenny Peters spoke at the AOPA Symposium. Her topic was Drones in the Classroom. She outlined our program and gave a detailed list of drones that we use in our program as well as the items that every drone program should have. She did a outstanding job of going over the curriculum that we utilize and how she has meshed it with the AOPA You Can Fly Curriculum.

The symposium, held from November 12-14, provided a platform for educators and industry leaders to connect, share best practices, and explore innovative approaches to promoting aviation STEM education. Pryor's representatives actively participated in workshops, panel discussions, and networking sessions, gaining valuable knowledge and resources to enhance their school's aviation program.

"The AOPA Symposium was an invaluable experience for our team," remarked Dr. Jenny Peters, an AP physics, aviation, and engineering teacher at Pryor High School. "We were able to connect with like-minded educators from across the country and gain fresh perspectives on how to inspire and engage our students in the exciting field of aviation."

The symposium's theme, "You Can Fly: Inspiring the Next Generation of Aviators," resonated deeply with the Pryor staff. They were particularly impressed by the keynote address from Barrington Irving, a pilot, educator, and the 2012 National Geographic Emerging Explorer. Irving's inspiring story of circumnavigating the globe solo at the age of 23 ignited a passion for aviation among the attendees.

Paula Kedy, with the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics was a guest speaker Monday afternoon, "Paula's message of the importance of aviation and how it empowers our students was truly inspiring," shared Mr. Jim Bryant, an aviation teacher at Pryor High School.

Paula has been a driving force making Oklahoma the leader in the AOPA curriculum. Three years ago there were around 30 schools using the AOPA Curriculum. Lat year that number grew to over 50. Currently there are over 80 schools utilizing the FREE AOPA You Can Fly Curriculum in Oklahoma.

Pryor High School Student Nicholas Rowland Attends OETA Aviation Youth Influencer Meeting

NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Pryor High School student Nicholas Rowland was among a select group of Oklahoma students (high school and college) who was invited to participate as a panel member at the OETA Aviation Youth Influencer Meeting at the Oklahoma Science Museum on Friday, November 10th. The event was designed to bring together young people who are passionate about aviation and provide them with an opportunity to learn more about the industry and meet with professionals.

Rowland, who is a member of the Pryor High School Aviation Program shared his aviation experiences and spoke about his aspirations to pursue a career in the field. "It was an honor to be invited to participate in the OETA Aviation Youth Influencer Meeting," said Nicholas. "I learned a lot about the industry and met some amazing people. I'm really excited about the future of aviation and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it."

In addition to the panel discussion, the event also featured a variety of hands-on activities, including flight simulators and drone demonstrations. The students also had the opportunity to meet with representatives from a number of aviation organizations, including the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The OETA Aviation Youth Influencer Meeting is part of OETA's ongoing commitment to STEM education. The organization provides a variety of resources and programs to help young people develop an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission

Student Flight Day

OCTOBER 5, 2023

Forty-two Pryor High School Aviation students attended the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Student Flight Day at the Tulsa International Airport. This is the second year for this event and this year around 1,000 students from across the state were in attendance.

Tami Rowland, Pryor High School Aviation I teacher, said, "The event was well organized and our students really enjoyed seeing the F-16 and the photo booth area at the Air National Guard Rotation. There were quite a few post-secondary institutions available to answer student questions about opportunities and requirements for pathways into aviation after high school."

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Sean Manes, with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics spoke to our Aviation classes today about how they utilize UAS daily. He brought some “cool toys” for our students to see. The Autel Dragonfish was a big hit with students and surveillance videos were amazing. He brought three drones for the students to see:

DJI Mavic Mini
DJI Matrice 300
Autel Dragonfish

It was interesting to hear how each drone is used differently depending the specific situation that they may encounter or based on the type of surveillance they are performing.

AVIATION III - UAS Pathway

Bryce Pathkiller and Nicholas Rowland, are constructing a quadcopter drone that our Aviation IIII-UAS students will use to understand how various sensors work on a drone. This drone will carry a thermal sensor among several others so that we can experiment with collecting various types of data for analysis.

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Mike Arnold and Allen Perry are building a hexacopter drone (six motors) that we will use to learn to fly. This drone is a custom build and doesn't have any fancy sensors but that's because we expect it might crash a bunch while we troubleshoot the flight control system!

Nicholas Rowland Earns FAA Part 107 Certificate

CONGRATULATIONS! Nicholas Rowland earned his FAA Part 107 Certificate yesterday, August 28. It was his first attempt to take the test certifying him as a Drone Pilot. Nicholas is a junior in the Pryor Aviation Program and his goal is to attend Oklahoma State University's Aviation & Aeronautics program after graduation.

In order to fly your drone under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (Part 107), you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certificate demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones.

To become a drone pilot you must:

Be at least 16 years old
Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
Be in physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone
Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam: "Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG)"

For more information on becoming a drone pilot: FAA - Become a Drone Pilot

PRYOR HIGH SCHOOL

EMPOWERS OKLAHOMA STUDENTS WITH AVIATION SKILLS

AUGUST 17, 2023

by LEX RODRIGIEZ

The aviation industry is struggling to hang on to pilots and other jobs across the board, but the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission says our students may be the solution. New programs beginning for schools across the state are fast-tracking students into aviation.

Right now, parts of an RV-12iS aircraft are scattered across the Mid America Expo Center. That's because students from Pryor High School are building from the ground up. Students across Oklahoma now have an opportunity to jump-start a career in aviation.

The Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission says it's thanks to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's initiative to rebuild pilot population and the aviation industry. "We now have eighty-seven Oklahoma High Schools teaching this AOPA high school curriculum this year," Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission's Paula Kedy said.

Pryor High School is one of the schools offering the STEM program and one of only three that is building a plane like this one. "Ironically, it's going to be one of the best-built airplanes out there," Dr. Jenny Peters said. Peters teaches the program called Tango Flight. This is the first airplane the class is building which Peters expects to take two school years to complete.

This is the start of year two. She says just after the first year, students already moved on to successful careers. "One gentleman is actually working here in the park. He works for RAE Corporation and one of the other students went to Spartan College and he is about to do his solo flight for his private pilot. So, he started the program this summer actually and he's already soloing," Peters said.

Senior Allen Perry says he was already taking other aviation classes, but when he heard about the chance to build a plane, he climbed aboard Tango Flight "It's been real exciting getting closer to the people that are here just because it's a small class anyways and then knowing that what we're building is going to be in the air flying," Perry said.

Dr. Peters says if everything goes as planned, the plane will be flying by the end of summer 2024.

Pryor High School Empowers Oklahoma Students with Aviation Skills - KOTV Channel 6 News

Pryor Aviation Staff Attends AOPA Training

JUNE 5-8, 2023

Two aviaiton staff members from Pryor High School attending the 2023 AOPA Teacher Training in Norman. Dr. Jenny Peters served as a teacher-trainer for the AOPA Aviaiton Level III curriculum. Dr. Peters has been the driving force for bringing the AOPA curriculum to Pryor High School and has taught the first three levels of the AOPA curriculum at PHS as well as leading the Tango Flight RV-12is airplane build. This year she will begin a Level III - UAS course at Pryor High School.

Terri "Tug" Tugmon was hired last fall at Pryor High School to be a co-teacher with the Tango Flight build. Terri attended the AOPA in Norman as a Level III - Flight trainee. Terri brings a great amount of knowledge and experinece to our program as a private pilot and she is currently working toward attaining her CFI (Certified Flight Instructor).

The AOPA Foundation You Can Fly Initiative High School Aviation STEM Curriculum is a STEM.org-reviewed set of six fullyear courses in two pathways – pilot and UAS – embedded with rigorous STEM concepts and career preparation taught in the context of aviation. In the 2022-2023 school year, more than 500 teachers in more than 400 schools across 43 states are teaching more than 1,200 class sections the AOPA Foundation High School Aviation STEM Curriculum to a diverse (50% students of color, 22% female) group of more than 15,000 students nationwide. The Curriculum challenges students and prepares them for aviation and aerospace-related STEM careers. (https://download.aopa.org/hs/inforesources.pdf)

Private Pilot Scholarships Awarded

TWO $2,000 SCHOLARSHIPS

Nicholas Rowland and Carsen Daneker have been selected to receive the FAA 625 Workforce Grant Private Pilot Scholarship provided by the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission in the amount of $2,000 each. Both students received the scholarship award after going through an application process that was made available to all Pryor High School Aviation & Aeronautics students.

Pryor High School Aviation Students Sign with Spartan

MAY 16, 2023

Three Pryor High School Aviation Seniors have signed their letter of intent with the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology. Aidan Brown and Adam Blodgett (pictured) met with Val Yang on Monday, May 15 to sign their letter of intent. Anthony Alberty has also been accpeted to Spartan as well, but was not availble for the picture.

These aviation students will begin their journey at Spartan in early July. Aidan has been in the avation program at Pryor High School for three years, while Adam and Anthony have been enrolled in the aviation program at Pryor High School for four years. Aidan has applied to the American Airlines Cadet Academy at Spartan. Adam wishes to fly commerical passenger airplanes and Anthony would like to fly commercial cargo planes. Pryor High School wishes these students blue skies in their future!

Pryor Public Schools

High Growth and Emerging Technology Grant

Pryor Public Schools was awarded the Oklahoma Career Tech High Growth and Emerging Technologies Grant this past Fall. We were able to use these funds to purchase Locorobo Drone curriculum.

As an Oklahoma High School of Aviation Excellence we want to lead the way in offering opportunities in both aviation pathways, flight and UAS. It is our opinion that the LocoRobo curriculum and products will provide our students a comprehensive program that includes drone flight, engineering, troubleshooting/repair and remote sensing opportunities that will enhance our student’s employment opportunities in the future workforce.

Our students have started building and flying the racing drones using the Locorobo curriculum. Next Fall our students will have the opportunity to incorporate the following sensors with their Locorobo drones:

LIDAR Sensor
Environmental Sensor
Wind Sensor
Loco AI
Thermal Camera

Aviation and Aerospace STEM Day - Pryor

Video produced by PHS student Kobe Ball

Aviation & Aeronautics STEM Day

MARCH 9, 2023

Pryor High School held an Aviation & Aeronautics STEM Day for Northeast Oklahoma school districts that are using the AOPA curriculum. The event was held at the MidAmerica Industrial Park Expo Center, over 300 students and 17 vendors were on hand to discover the various opportunitied that are available to them as in the aviation and aeronautics field.

JonRoy Crawford spoke to the students about his pathway to his career as a pilot for United Airlines. Students had the opportunity to meet with the vendors and participoate in several STEM competitions. A special Thank You to the MidAmerica Industrial Park, Red Crown Credit Union and the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission for sponsoring this event.

Hundreds of High School Students Participate in Aviation STEM Day - KOTV Channel 6 News

PRYOR HIGH SCHOOL - TANGO FLIGHT

SEPTEMBER 14, 2022

by AMY SLANCHIK

High school students in Pryor are going to be building an airplane as part of the district's aviation program. Four days a week, aviation students at Pryor High School get a bus ride to the MidAmerica Expo Center for class.

The students are getting ready to build an airplane. "I've never heard of a high school doing this," Senior Anthony Alberty said. Students are going through the thousands of parts it will take to build the RV-12 iS plane. It is an experimental plane, and will go through testing before taking to the skies. "The attraction of building an airplane is just - it's a fantastic opportunity," Pryor HS Aviation Instructor Dr. Jenny Peters said. Dr. Peters said she started the program three years ago, but this is the first time they are building an aircraft.

Students go through classes that teach the aviation history, and physics before getting to this point. "The logical conclusion of all of that knowledge building, would be to physically build the airplane themselves," she said. Students are taking on the assignment with mentors, like Terri Tugmon, by their side. "The kids are learning, the mentors are learning. We're all learning all this together," Tugmon said. "So that's the exciting part." The other exciting part is realizing these students will be more prepared to jump into a career field that desperately needs them. "I plan on being a commercial pilot," Alberty said. "My parents are very happy of me being in this,"

Senior Peyton Donnelly said. "We're really lucky to have a program like this. And at a high school level is pretty crazy," Sophomore Colby Cooper said. The plane will take two years to build and everyone involved is already looking forward to the program taking off.

Pryor High School Students Building an Airplane for Aviation Program - KOTV Channel 6 News

Tango Flight

OAC Pilot's Day

Aviation & Aeronautics STEM Day

LAUNCHING INTO AVIATION

(FIRST SEMESTER)

The entry level course will provide the foundation for advanced exploration in the areas of flying, aerospace engineering, and unmanned aircraft systems. Students will learn about engineering practices, problem-solving and the innovations and technological developments that have made today’s aviation and aerospace industries possible. Students will look at the problem-solving practices and innovative leaps that transformed space exploration from the unimaginable to the common in a single generation. Students will also gain historical perspective, starting from the earliest flying machines and leading to the wide variety of modern aircraft and the integral role they play in making today’s world work.

EXPLORING AVIATION & AEROSPACE

(SECOND SEMESTER)

This core aerospace and aviation course provides the foundation for both pathways. It is designed to give students a clear understanding of career opportunities in aviation and aerospace and the critical issues affecting the aviation system. Students will also begin to drill down into the various sectors of aviation and the elements that make up the aviation and aerospace ecosystem. They will discover how advances in aviation created a need for regulation and will learn about the promulgation of civil aviation oversight. Students will explore modern innovations and develop their own innovative ideas to address real-world challenges facing the aviation industry.

INTRODUCTION TO FLIGHT

(FIRST SEMESTER)

Students pursuing the pilot and UAS tracks will take a closer look at the aircraft they may one day operate. Students will begin with an exploration of the types of aircraft in use today before going on to learn how aircraft are made and how they fly. Students will understand how aircraft are categorized, be able to identify their parts, and learn about aircraft construction techniques and materials. They will gain an in-depth understanding of the forces of flight—lift, weight, thrust, and drag—including how to make key calculations. They will then touch on aircraft design, looking at stability, aircraft controls, and maneuvering flight. The course will conclude with a focus on career skills related to these topics.

AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS & PERFORMANCE

(SECOND SEMESTER)

In the Aircraft Systems and Performance course, students in the UAS and Pilot tracks will take an in-depth look at the systems that make manned and unmanned aircraft work as well as the instrumentation powered by those systems. Beginning with aircraft power plants and fuel systems, students will learn about the different options available and how they affect aircraft design and performance. They will go on to explore other key aircraft systems, including electrical, pitot-static, and vacuum systems. Throughout, they will learn about the flight instruments associated with each system and how to identify and troubleshoot common problems. This unit also covers airplane flight manuals, the pilot's operating handbook, and required aircraft documents. Finally, students will learn about the factors that affect aircraft performance and how to determine critical operating data for aircraft.

THE FLYING ENVIRONMENT

(FIRST SEMESTER)

This course is foundational for both manned and unmanned aviation, and will prepare students to take either of two Federal Aviation Administration tests: the Private Pilot Knowledge Test or the Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test. Topics include: pre-flight procedures, airspace, radio communications, aviation phraseology, regulations, airport operations, aviation safety, weather, cockpit management, and emergency procedures.

PILOT PATHWAY

FLIGHT PLANNING

(SECOND SEMESTER)

Planning course will cover remaining topics necessary for students to take the Federal Aviation Administration's Private Pilot Knowledge Test. Students will learn pilot and aircraft qualifications, cross-country flight planning, weight and balance, performance and limitations, human factors, chart use, night operations, navigation systems, and aeronautical decision making. Students will be provided the opportunity to participate in multiple practice examinations. At the end of this course, a school may choose to arrange for students to be signed off to take the Federal Aviation Administration's Private Pilot written exam.

UAS PATHWAY

FLIGHT PLANNING

(SECOND SEMESTER)

The UAS Operations course will cover small unmanned aircraft performance, ethics, human factors, aeronautical decision-making and judgment, safety protocols, weight and balance, maintenance, aviation weather sources and effects of weather (micro-meteorology) on small unmanned aircraft performance, small unmanned aircraft loading and performance, emergency procedures, crew resource management, and preflight inspection procedures. Students will be provided the opportunity to participate in multiple practice examinations. Students will be prepared to complete the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Knowledge Test upon completion of this course.

TANGO FLIGHT

Tango Fight is an educational program created to inspire the next generation of engineers, pilots, aviation mechanics and technicians. The curriculum provides meaningful classroom learning with real hands-on training. Students apply classroom knowledge to building an actual, FAA certified airplane. Tango Flight is an applied learning course. This integrative course exposes students to various concepts of aerospace, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and design engineering, with an emphasis on aviation. Through in-house designed, aviation-focused curriculum, students explore a wide range of topics, including fundamentals and mechanics of aircraft and avionics equipment, aviation maintenance and inspection, and aircraft structure and assembly. The course applies and concurrently develops secondary knowledge, skills, and abilities in science, mathematics, and technology. Some time outside of the traditional school day will be needed for this class.

Students DO NOT have to be enrolled in the previous aviation courses to enroll in this class.

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