WCHS Students Soaring to New Heights in Aviation Program

(Cincinnati, OH) - Students at West Clermont High School are soaring to new heights thanks to an innovative new partnership with Sporty’s Pilot Shop.

This is the first year of the partnership in which students interested in the aviation industry get up close, real-world experience.

“I was approached last September and basically Greg Pottenbaum walked into my room, our principal, and said how do you feel about teaching aerospace and aviation?” said teacher Mitch Farmer. “I kinda laughed and he said no, seriously. So it is a year-in now and it’s been going really well and I’m the Aerospace teacher now.”

The aviation program is a four-year program and ideally they want students to start their freshman year.

“The first two years the students are in the class they are learning anything and everything about aviation. Aviation history, mechanics, basic maneuvers in an airplane, how an airplane is made. I mean they are getting all that information,” said Farmer. “Then by the time their junior year rolls around they would get to pick a pathway, whether they go and say, I want to be a pilot and they specifically focus on piloting that junior year. Then by the time their senior year rolls around we want them taking their FAA exam, we want them passing it, we want them ready to go fly in the future and then same with the drone. We want them to take their drone test, we want them to pass it.”

Michael Wolf, chairman and CEO of Sporty’s, was instrumental in bringing this program to West Clermont. He also happens to be an alumni of the district.

“We work with AOPA, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. They’re advocates for keeping aviation free and safe. They came up with this high school initiative program. And we were all for it because you can’t get the kids in college. They’ve already made a decision. So let’s see if we can get them in high school,” explained Wolf.

Sporty’s Pilot Shop, which specializes in aviation supplies, flight training, and training materials, has been around since 1961 and Michael Wolf has been working there for more than 52 of those years. Wolf graduated from Amelia High School and began working at Sporty’s in 1972 while he was still in high school.

“I was a warehouse kid. Hal Shevers, the founder of the company, hired me out of Amelia High School in 1972. And I started walking over here after school every day. And I just worked in the warehouse, swept the floors, cut the grass, cleaned the toilets, dug the trash, did all that kind of stuff. And just worked hard, worked my way up.”

Currently, there are 147 students enrolled in the program.

Liam Campbell, a sophomore at West Clermont High School, said he has always liked airplanes and wanted to be a pilot.

“Ever since I was little, I took my first flight and it was on Delta, and they invited me into the cockpit and I really liked it,” said Campbell. So, I've always wanted to be a pilot, and yeah, it's just a passion that I have.”

Alex Napier is a junior. She says while she’s always been interested in aviation her route changed after taking the class.

“Last year, I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. And this year I've kind of been looking a little more into the piloting side of things. We got a visit by Sporty's and they had some of their CFIs come in and talk to us about the career pathway that piloting is and all the opportunities you get with that. And it kind of intrigued me. So I did my own research and I think that's the path I kind of want to go down,” said Napier. 

Piloting isn’t the only pathway in the program. There’s engineering, mechanics, and drones.

“There’s a super shortage of mechanics. If you can’t fix the airplanes, you can’t fly the airplanes. So that’s a really great career to go into because you could pretty much live and work wherever you want to,” said Wolf.

“There are jobs everywhere with great salaries, great benefits, and career options that kids just don’t know are out there,” Farmer added.

Kamryn Wilson is a senior. She plans on being an aerospace engineer.

“I've personally wanted to go into aerospace engineering since I was in middle school and so having an aerospace program my senior year really just seemed like a great opportunity and chance to experience right before I go into college,” said Wilson. I would eventually like to move to Texas and work for NASA at their Houston base, but I don't really know. Whatever falls into my lap.”

“It surprises my family a lot. I go home and I tell them about what I did and they're always kind of surprised. They think like, I've heard them say they've never got to do that as a kid or I hear other family members who are also where I am in high school or maybe they're a little younger in middle school and they just think it's amazing,” said Napier.

When it comes to the future of the program everyone sees major growth.

“Well, I'd just like to see it be successful and grow but, you know, not too much so it's not overcrowded but just slowly grow nice and strong and keep pumping kids into the industry because it's a great industry. With strong aviation, you have a strong country,” said Wolf.

“Five years down the road, I think that this class is going to be a lot bigger. More students, more opportunities for students, different classes for different pathways,” said Napier.

“This part, Mr. Farmer, our teacher, has talked a lot about our partnership with Sporty's and how he's trying to set up different courses and experiences with Sporty's, where we can go visit them, we can talk to flight instructors, and I feel like that, down the road, even if I don't get to experience it after I graduate, will be a great opportunity for everyone below,” said Wilson.

While the program continues to grow, Mr. Farmer is also adding to his resume.

“When I was given this opportunity I was like I love to learn so I’d love to jump in and see what I can do and now I’m learning to be a pilot and potentially a ground instructor and I’m doing a lot of fun really interesting stuff.”

Farmer says he hopes to have his pilot's license by next year.

“When we say WC Strong we’re basically saying we’re a family here. We want to be strong not only as a student body, and as staff, and as a community but we want to be strong as a district and providing opportunities like this and giving our students the choice to pursue what they want in the future only plays to their strengths and their abilities and pushes them to be the best version that they can be of themselves,” said Farmer.

“West Clermont Strong to me means having a stronger foundation for any career paths we want to go into, especially as high school students. Being able to go into programs such as the Oaks or programs such as Aerospace here. Just being able to have those classes before actually going into college or a trade or a job or the military or whatever you want to go into. I feel like that prepares us for the real world a lot more than you would find maybe at other places,” said Napier.

“I feel like this will prepare me for when I do go to that four-year college. And, when I'm, like, maybe college recruiters will look at me and see that I took this class and be like, yeah, he wants aviation. He wants to major in aviation,” said Campbell.

“West Clermont Strong, to me, means a strong foundation for education, because I feel like with all of our different programs, all of our different ways that we can dip into future careers, I feel like we are setting all students up for a great future,” said Wilson.

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