Lincoln North Star High School Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program Holds Open House

Leon Holloway, Duncan Aviation's Vice President of Team Member Services, thanks those within Duncan Aviation, Lincoln Public Schools, and community officials for their support and work to bring the Lincoln North Star Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program to fruition. Click image for high-res download.

LINCOLN, NEB. — On Monday, December 4^th, Lincoln North Star High School and community members in Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrated the completion of a new $5.4 million hangar-style addition to the school’s Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program. The program is centered around creating interest in aviation and training the next generation of pilots, technicians, engineers, dispatchers, and flight instructors.

Nearly a decade ago, Duncan Aviation and many other companies in the aviation industry recognized an impending and growing shortfall of technicians and pilots that is expected to worsen. Stewart D’Leon, director of environmental and technical operations with the National Business Aviation Association, said the industry is really struggling to keep up with the demand for technicians. Boeing’s 2022 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects a worldwide need for 610,000 new maintenance technicians over the next 20 years, 134,000 in North America alone. This has prompted companies in the aviation industry to rethink strategies for educating, recruiting and retaining qualified talent for the future.

More than seven years ago, the idea of a Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) program focused on aviation curriculum started. Duncan Aviation partnered with LPS and North Star to create an Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program to expose students to the endless opportunities in aviation. There were 150 students enrolled in aviation courses during the 2019 school year, and that number quickly jumped to 215 students in 2021. It became clear the school would need a dedicated space to accommodate the growing aviation focus program. Led by Connie Duncan, wife of Duncan Aviation Board of Directors Chairman Todd Duncan, Duncan Aviation graciously donated $3.34 million to the program.

With that, the multi-million dollar project began, moving the aviation department from a small, shared space, to a brand new 13,000-square-foot space near the front of the school, often referred to as one of the only public school airplane hangars in the nation. Because of the upgrades, the program is now able to help more than 317 students learn about and pursue careers in aviation. Students now have the ability to take a new advanced aviation maintenance course, and use industry-standard equipment to perform hands-on projects to mimic some of the skills that an airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic needs to have.

Amanda Woodward, the career and technical education teacher at North Star who leads the program, said she is grateful for all Duncan Aviation has done for the program.

 “To work with my friends at Duncan Aviation, to get tools in the hands of students, and to teach them how high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand aviation maintenance careers can look is the honor of a lifetime,” she said.

 Duncan Aviation Team Member Services Vice President Leon Holloway said he wants to give a special acknowledgement to Connie Duncan.

 “Your leadership, guidance, and attitude toward getting stuff done kept everyone accountable,” said Holloway. “More importantly, your intentional passion to serve the students across Nebraska and surrounding areas was the light we all needed to believe the impossible is possible.”

You can learn more about the Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program at North Star High School by following this link: https://aviation.lps.org/

You can also watch the presentations given at the open house on the Lincoln Public School’s YouTube page. Or view them at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGEMvBlpKpU

About Duncan Aviation

Duncan Aviation is an aircraft service provider supporting the aviation needs of business aircraft operators, government agencies, and other aircraft service providers. Services include major and minor airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit avionics systems, full paint and interior services, engineering and certification services, fabrication and manufacturing services, and preowned aircraft sales and acquisitions. Duncan Aviation also has international aircraft components solutions experts available 24/7/365 at +1 402.475.4125 who can handle any aircraft system problem with immediate exchanges, rotables, loaners or avionics/instrument/accessory repairs and overhauls. Complete service facilities are located in Battle Creek, Michigan; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Provo, Utah. We also have dozens of other facilities strategically located throughout the United States to provide customers with scheduled regional support and the quickest response possible to avionics, engine and airframe Aircraft On Ground (AOG) situations.

For more information about any of Duncan Aviation’s services, call +1 402.475.2611 or visit https://www.DuncanAviation.aero/services