Will Assist With The District's Career Academy

The Bismarck, ND School Board has approved the purchase of a Cessna 150 airplane for use by its Career Academy's student aviation program.

The Bismarck Tribune reports that the board anticipates spending between $15,000 and $30,000 on the two-place airplane.

Darin Scherr, business and operations manager for the district, said that owning an airplane has several advantages for the program. Primarily, it will represent a significant cost savings for both the school district and the families of students seeing flight instruction. Flying the district-owned plane will cost about half what it would to take instruction in a rental aircraft, even when maintenance and hangar space are taken into consideration.

Career Academy Principal Dale Hoerauf said another plus is that the students won't have to compete for time in the airplane with other flight school clients. And, he said it will give the students a better understanding of the aircraft and its systems.

Bismarck will be the first school district in the state to own an airplane, according to Mike McHugh, aviation education coordinator for the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission. Only two other districts in the state offer high school aviation programs, with more than 200 students enrolled.

(Image from file)

FMI: Source report