Students explore aviation maintenance trade through use of donated airplane at Unity Reed H.S.

Just four miles from Manassas Regional Airport, the busiest General Aviation airport in Virginia, students at Unity Reed High School in Prince William County are learning the aviation maintenance trade courtesy of a donated aircraft to the school. The aircraft will allow the students to gain hands-on maintenance experience in a trade that is experiencing a critical manpower shortage nationwide.

Scott Kenney, an Aviation Maintenance teacher at Unity Reed High School and Woodbridge High School, said the aircraft is a Viking Dragonfly, a two-seater plane with a cockpit less than four feet across. Summit Helicopters, a Salem, Va.-based company, donated the aircraft. Kenney said he was “very happy” to receive the donation and that it would help enhance students’ education and interest in aviation maintenance.

“[This program’s goal] is to enrich the education of the students in the field of aviation maintenance and to prepare them for any future school or career they may choose,” Kenney said.

The Aviation Maintenance Programs at Unity Reed High School and Woodbridge High School teach equipment safety, maintenance publications and records, airframes, engines, and electricity and give students insight into aviation careers. Kenney said 17 students are enrolled in the program at Unity Reed and another 15 at Woodbridge High School.

As part of their curriculum, the 32 students take Aviation Maintenance I and II courses and recommended classes like Technical Drawing, Introduction to Engineering and Design, or Construction Technology. The school has a large maintenance bay to accommodate the aircraft, disassemble the engine and avionics, and teach repair techniques for engine and cockpit components.

For Unity Reed seniors Kevin Salazar Ramirez and Eddie Quezada, using a real aircraft in conjunction with the school’s aviation program allows them to test their skills.

“The best aspects of the class are the hands-on projects like disassembling an aircraft reciprocating engine,” Ramirez said. He added that remembering some of the steps involved in disassembly can be challenging.

Both students said they intend to earn aviation maintenance technician certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration and believe the school’s aviation maintenance program can “open [future students’] eyes to the aspects of [the] aeronautics and aerospace industry.”

According to industry estimates, a shortage of nearly 18,000 aviation mechanics nationwide in 2023 could skyrocket to 43,000 by 2027. The Aviation Technician Education Council predicts the industry needs at least 20% more mechanics than are currently being trained to meet the immense demand.

Kenney said he is proud to “play a role in encouraging our students to pursue various fields of aviation” and to prepare them for Aircraft Maintenance Technician Schools or apprenticeships.

Kevin Sandell is a freelance reporter for Potomac Local News.

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