North Idaho High School Student ACES Fly the Aircraft They Built

A remarkable high school aerospace program in Sandpoint, Idaho, reached a milestone that few youth aviation initiatives ever achieve—FAA airworthiness certification for not one, but two student-built aircraft. Now those planes have taken flight, piloted by a former student who helped build one of them.

The morning of October 4, 2025, marked a turning point for the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program. When the Federal Aviation Administration inspector signed off on airworthiness certificates for a Van’s RV-12 and a Zenith STOL CH 750, it validated years of Saturday morning labor by middle and high school students who’d gathered in rented hangars at Sandpoint Airport to rivet, buck, and wrench their way through two complete aircraft builds.

But getting the FAA’s approval stamp was only half the story. The real vindication came when Eric Gray, a former ACES (Aerospace Center of Excellence Sandpoint) student who’d worked on the Zenith during his own high school years, climbed into the cockpit as the qualified test pilot for both aircraft. It’s the kind of full-circle moment that validates not just the technical competency of the program, but its deeper mission, to create a pipeline from teenage curiosity to aerospace careers.

Gray’s journey exemplifies what program founder Ken Larson envisioned when he started this ambitious educational experiment 13 years ago. Larson, a chief flight instructor and alpaca farmer, launched the program after a conversation with a student named Anna Filce, who worked on his farm and expressed interest in aviation. That single conversation grew into a nonprofit organization that has now trained 60 aviation career-bound students, many of whom have gone on to become pilots, aircraft mechanics, airline dispatchers, and U.S. Air Force members.

The Saturday Morning Engineers

Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., approximately 40 middle and high school students convene in rented hangars at Sandpoint Airport (KSZT) to work on aircraft. The workshop atmosphere is deliberately informal but technically rigorous. Experienced volunteer aircraft builders and A&P mechanics guide students through every phase of construction, from interpreting plans to final systems checks. Many of these volunteers come from the local Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 1441, which has become deeply invested in the program’s success.

What sets ACES apart from many youth aviation programs is its remarkable demographic diversity. About half of the student builders are female—a striking statistic in an industry that still struggles with gender representation. Many participants are homeschooled, drawn by the program’s hands-on STEM education that goes far beyond traditional classroom instruction.

The program operates on a shoestring budget of approximately $15,000 annually, funded entirely through donations and grants. Students pay no fees. Instead, they commit their Saturdays and receive something increasingly rare in modern education: genuine ownership of a complex, consequential project. Active participants also receive free plane rides with local pilots, a tangible connection between the work they’re doing in the hangar and the experience of flight itself.

Building More Than Airplanes

The RV-12 and Zenith CH 750 represent nearly four years of sustained effort. That timeline isn’t just about the technical challenges of aircraft construction though those are considerable. It’s about creating an educational framework where students can develop the persistence, problem-solving skills, and collaborative abilities that matter in any career path.

The Van’s RV-12iS is a proven LSA design with excellent performance characteristics—a 135 mph maximum speed, 131 mph cruise, 47 mph stall speed, and 900 fpm rate of climb. With its Rotax 912 iS Sport powerplant, the RV-12 offers excellent fuel economy and computer-controlled engine management that simplifies operations. The aircraft’s light empty weight allows a generous useful load—two 185-pound occupants, 20 gallons of fuel, and 50 pounds of baggage—making it genuinely practical for flight training and recreational flying.

The Zenith STOL CH 750 takes a different approach to the Light Sport category, emphasizing short takeoff and landing performance. With a 29-foot-10-inch wingspan and 144 square feet of wing area, the CH 750, powered by a 100 hp Continental O-200, can take off and land in as little as 350 feet. The stall speed is a sedate 43 kts, and it cruises at 100 kts. The cabin is notably spacious for a Light Sport design, with 42 inches of width that expands to 50 inches with the signature bubble doors open.

Both aircraft exemplify the kit-built movement’s emphasis on buildability and performance. For student builders, they represent thousands of decisions, with every rivet, every wire run, every aircraft systems check requiring attention and accountability.

The Academic Connection

Aircraft construction is only one component of the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program. The complementary academic program, taught by certificated flight instructor Lena Haug, provides structured classroom instruction covering FAA private pilot knowledge test requirements, aircraft systems, fundamentals of flight, navigation, and career prospects throughout the aviation industry.

Haug, a CFII for single-engine land and sea airplanes who’s also an accomplished equestrian and adventure racer, brings a unique perspective to aviation education. Her classes incorporate guest speakers, field trips to aviation museums, air traffic control facilities, and aircraft manufacturers. Students earn academic credit for their participation, creating a formal educational framework around what might otherwise be dismissed as an extracurricular activity.

The program also assists students in finding scholarships for flight training at local flight schools. So far, NIHSAP has helped facilitate nearly $50,000 in flight training scholarships, with support from sources including EAA Chapter 1441 and other aviation organizations. Students receive deeply discounted rates at Pilot Training Northwest, the local flight school at Sandpoint Airport.

This comprehensive approach: hands-on building, academic instruction, flight training support, and career guidance, creates multiple pathways into aviation. Some students discover a passion for maintenance and pursue A&P certification. Others focus on piloting careers. Still others find their calling in aerospace engineering or manufacturing. The program meets students where their interests lie rather than forcing a single predetermined path.

The Sandpoint Aerospace Ecosystem

The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program doesn’t exist in isolation. Sandpoint has developed into a significant aerospace hub, anchored by Quest Aircraft Company (now Kodiak Aircraft, part of the French Daher Group), which manufactures the Kodiak utility aircraft in a 110,000-square-foot facility at the airport. Other local aerospace companies include Aerocet (amphibious floats), Tamarack Aerospace Group, Cygnus, and Timberline Helicopters.

This concentration of aerospace manufacturing creates employment opportunities and provides the NIHSAP program with industry connections, guest speakers, and field trip destinations. Students can see direct pathways from their Saturday morning hangar work to careers with local employers. In a region that has historically struggled with low-wage employment and declining traditional industries, aerospace represents economic opportunity and a skilled, knowledge-based workforce.

The synergy between youth education and industry needs isn’t accidental. NIHSAP explicitly positions itself as workforce development, cultivating “a highly skilled, local aerospace workforce by providing opportunities for Bonner and Boundary County students to successfully transition to post-secondary aerospace education, career training or job placement.” It’s a pragmatic mission that recognizes aviation education must serve both student aspirations and economic reality.

Test Flight and Beyond

When Eric Gray conducted flight testing on the student-built aircraft following FAA certification, he closed a loop that began when he was a high school student working on the Zenith. Gray earned his private pilot certificate in April 2025, positioning himself to serve as the test pilot for the aircraft he’d helped construct years earlier.

The symbolic weight of this moment shouldn’t be understated. Youth aviation programs often talk about inspiring the next generation, but few can point to such tangible proof—a student who built an aircraft in high school, gained the necessary ratings and experience, and returned to conduct the first flights of that same aircraft. It validates the long-term vision that Larson and his volunteers have pursued through more than a decade of Saturday mornings.

Flight testing for amateur-built and Light Sport Aircraft follows established FAA protocols, typically requiring 25 to 40 hours of Phase I testing in a designated operating area before the aircraft can be released for normal operations. This testing period allows the pilot to verify all systems, establish performance data, and identify any issues that need correction. For student-built aircraft, this phase takes on additional significance—it’s the ultimate quality check on years of student work.

Both aircraft have now progressed through initial flight testing, with social media posts from Zenith Aircraft Company and related sources from November 2025 documenting successful flights. The Zenith CH 750 Cruzer, in particular, has been featured in videos and Instagram posts celebrating the achievement.

The Next Generation

With two aircraft now certified and flying, ACES students have already moved on to their next project building a Jabiru J430 composite aircraft. This new build introduces students to composite construction techniques, expanding their technical repertoire beyond the all-aluminum construction of the RV-12 and Zenith designs.

The program continues to seek funding to purchase additional aircraft kits. Demand remains high, with a waiting list of students interested in participating. The challenge, as always, is matching educational mission with limited resources. At $15,000 annually, NIHSAP operates on a fraction of what many school districts spend on a single sport program, yet delivers outcomes that shape career trajectories and provide skills with direct economic value.

Ken Larson can be contacted at kenlarson2021@gmail.com for those interested in starting similar programs elsewhere. The NIHSAP model isn’t unique in concept. There are numerous youth aviation programs exist nationwide. But its sustained success in bringing aircraft through to FAA certification and first flight sets it apart. The program has demonstrated that with committed volunteers, modest funding, and genuine student engagement, remarkable outcomes are achievable.

Lessons for the Homebuilt Community

The North Idaho program offers insights relevant to the broader experimental aviation community. First, it demonstrates that aircraft construction can be successfully approached as a group activity spanning years with rotating participants. The conventional wisdom of homebuilding emphasizes individual projects, yet ACES shows that institutional builds with changing student populations can reach completion.

Second, the program highlights the importance of volunteer mentors with genuine technical expertise. The involvement of EAA Chapter 1441 members and local A&P mechanics ensures students receive proper instruction and that aircraft meet airworthiness standards. This formalized mentorship addresses one of homebuilding’s persistent challenge, ensuring builders have access to experienced guidance during critical phases.

Third, the integration of academic instruction, hands-on building, and flight training creates a comprehensive aviation education that serves students regardless of their ultimate career path. Even students who don’t pursue aviation careers benefit from the technical skills, teamwork experience, and exposure to project management that aircraft construction demands.

Finally, the program demonstrates the power of long-term commitment. Thirteen years of continuous operation, 60 students trained, multiple aircraft completed—these results didn’t emerge from a single enthusiastic burst of activity but from sustained institutional dedication. In an educational landscape often dominated by short-term thinking and constantly shifting priorities, NIHSAP’s persistence is itself instructive.

The View from the Cockpit

When Eric Gray lifted off on the first flight of the Zenith he’d helped build, he carried with him not just the technical validation of years of student work, but the aspirations of everyone who’d contributed rivets and rivet-bucking hours to the project. Every student who torqued a bolt, every volunteer who demonstrated a technique, every donor who contributed funds—all were represented in that moment of rotation and climb-out.

The North Idaho High School Aerospace Program proves what’s possible when aviation education is approached with ambition proportional to aviation’s actual demands. Building real aircraft, not simulators or ground trainers. Earning FAA certificates, not participation trophies. Creating career pathways, not just enrichment activities.

In an era when aviation faces persistent workforce challenges and an aging pilot and mechanic population, programs like NIHSAP represent more than feel-good community stories. They’re functional solutions, producing qualified, motivated young people with genuine aerospace skills and demonstrated persistence. The program’s graduates aren’t merely “interested in aviation” They are aircraft builders, student pilots, and emerging professionals who’ve already proven they can complete complex technical projects.

For the homebuilt community, the message is equally clear. The skills, knowledge, and passion that define experimental aviation aren’t inherited—they’re taught, learned, and cultivated. Programs that bring young people into hangars, put tools in their hands, and let them experience the satisfaction of creation are investments in the community’s future.

Sandpoint’s student builders have demonstrated that “we build ’em, we fly ’em” isn’t just a slogan—it’s an achievable standard. Two airworthy aircraft and a growing cohort of aerospace-career-bound students prove that with vision, volunteers, and perseverance, remarkable outcomes are within reach.

The RV-12 and Zenith now transition from student projects to operational aircraft, ready to introduce new students to flight and continue serving the educational mission that brought them into existence. Meanwhile, in the ACES hangar, students are already at work on the Jabiru, laying the foundation for the next first flight and the next generation of builders who’ll one day return as pilots, mentors, and leaders in their own right.

For more information about the North Idaho High School Aerospace Program, visit highschoolaerospace.org or email highschoolaerospace@gmail.com.