Rockford Public Schools look to train the next generation of pilots

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Students at Marshall Middle School could have the chance to simulate flying high in the sky in the comfort of their own campus.

The donation of the flight simulators to Rockford Public Schools came after Project Lead The Way Teacher Stacy Wallace was taking aviation lessons, and Students In Air (SIA) encouraged her to apply for a flight simulator donation.

Students at Jefferson High School already have access to an aviation simulator. Students lined the halls to try out the brand-new flight simulator during lunch on Wednesday.

“I mean, this flight simulator from day one, it was installed first thing in the morning on a Thursday,” said Jefferson High School Engineering and Computer Science Teacher Craig Stenberg. “From the next hour and every day, this has been getting lines of students to fly.”

Many of the students most interested are part of the school’s aerial robotics club. Thanks to the simulator, club members can graduate from flying drones to seeing what it is like to pilot an aircraft.

“As the weather gets a little bit warmer, we’ll be heading outside, and you know, after they’ve done a little bit of [flying] on the flight simulator, they’ll be able to try flying,” said Stenberg. “You know, one of our little model airplanes out out of the backfield.”

One flight instructor said he wished he had the opportunity to do the same when he was a student.

“I think if there’s one regret I were to have, it would be that I didn’t get started at an earlier age,” said Poplar Grove Airport flight Instructor Tevor Connors. “So getting the opportunity to start at the age of 15, 16 and 17 just kind of helps speed up that process overall.”

Even if a student is not interested in flying an aircraft, there are tons of other opportunities available.

“We have a maintenance team and a shop that we’re standing in right now. There’s pretty much a million different things you can do in aviation,” said Connors. “You could be an airport manager. There’s tons of opportunities, even if the flying portion isn’t for you.”

The donation of another flying simulator for Marshall Middle School was in committee on March 1st, and the vote to approve the donation will be held on March 15th.