Minnetonka High School is investing in the future of aviation. Its MOMENTUM program, Aviation Pathway, continues to grow in its second year.

The program was created to address the pilot shortage.

“We’ve learned that careers in aviation are open everywhere, from maintenance technicians to pilots,” said Scott Shaffer, who created the program. “We’re trying to spark some interest.”

Students learn about important aspects of aviation, including meteorology, navigation, regulations, flight planning, and others. They also log hours in flight simulators.

“It’s applying what you learn and actually doing it,” said Svea Moberg, a junior. “I never really [thought] that I would be interested in aviation enough to be a pilot, but I started doing it, and I can’t imagine doing anything else with the rest of my life.”

The Flight School 1 course was added this school year. It builds off last year’s new introduction course, which gives students the opportunity to go up in a discovery flight. A drone certification program was also launched last year.

The Aviation Pathway has attracted more than 300 students, including Anders McNeill.

“I’ve been interested in aviation my entire life,” said McNeill, who is also a junior. “A lot [of] people think you can just jump in a plane and just fly it, but there’s a lot of things you need to know.”

Students enrolled in the Aviation Pathway classes have the opportunity to use a state-of-the-art flight simulator, which allows them to log two-and-a-half hours toward their private pilot’s license.

“Flying is not cheap so to be able to have that experience is incredible,” said McNeill, who is already enrolled in flight school.

The program also features 18 computer simulators, which allow students to experience flying a wide variety of airplanes.

“They learn what they would learn as a private pilot from the safety of a classroom,” said Shaffer.

He explained it can give students an edge if they pursue a career in the field.

“When they get in the actual airplane, they’ve already done everything at least once,” said Shaffer. “They can learn in the real airplane at an accelerated rate.”

Junior Annabelle Miklethun signed up for the classes as a way to get involved in her school community and discovered a life-changing passion for aviation. She now hopes to become a pilot.

“I think that would be something really, really cool to do,” she said. “You get to go all over the world.”

The classes include field trips and mentorship for the teenagers.

On Wednesday, Sun Country Airlines CEO Jude Bricker visited the class and fielded questions from 125 students over the course of an hour. Other visitors have included air traffic controllers and pilots, according to Shaffer.

“The airline industry is beyond just pilots, and our goal is to expose them to those opportunities, and students will find their passion,” said Principal Jeff Erickson. “We’ve been fortunate to have great partners in our community that will come in and work with our students because they also see it as a pipeline for future employees.”

The Flight School 1 class also incorporates world history into the curriculum. According to McNeill, they’ve learned about the role of aerial photography and surveillance as well as what early philosophers thought about flight.

The district plans to expand the program further during the next school year by creating a Flight School 2 class. It will help students log additional hours while also teaching them about meteorology and economics, according to Erickson. They are also looking into how to create a program for airline mechanics due to the job opportunities available.

“The airline industry is beyond just pilots, and our goal is to expose them to those opportunities, and students will find their passion,” said Erickson.