14th Year Of Annual HS Competition Promoting Aviation Careers

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association announced the official opening of registration for the 2026 Aviation Design Challenge, an annual high school competition that is now in its 14th year of promoting aviation careers in U.S. high schools via an aviation-focused STEM education curriculum that incorporates flight simulation as well as aircraft design.

The Aviation Design Challenge is open to the first 150 U.S. high school teams that register. Teams will receive the free “Fly To Learn” curriculum which is in alignment with national STEM standards to facilitate the learning of principles of flight and aircraft design.

Teachers guide their students through the curriculum in approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Teams then apply that knowledge to design modifications for an aircraft to meet the needs of a simulated mission that utilizes X-Plane software to execute.

James Viola, President and CEO of GAMA said, “GAMA’s annual Aviation Design Challenge provides a great avenue for students to learn about the science of flight and principles of aircraft design. We are excited to open the registration for the 2026 Challenge and look forward to cultivating aviation learning experiences and expanding interest into our great industry.”

The finished challenge submissions will be scored by judges from GAMA based on the level of mission completion and other requirements. The winning team will receive an all-expenses paid general aviation experience that includes a CubCrafters Manufacturing Experience.

The second-place team will receive a Redbird Flight STEM Lab, and the third-place team will receive one-year subscriptions to ForeFlight Premium.

The Aviation Design Challenge competition was established in 2013 and since then, more than 950 teams have participated, representing morer than 485 high schools from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The competition has inspired many students to get involved in general aviation and/or pursue a college degree or career path related to general aviation.

Registration for the competition closes on December 19, 2025, or when all 150 available slots are filled. More information and registration can be found on the GAMA website.

FMI:  gama.aero/