Cleared for Takeoff: Garfield Re-2 Students Begin Their Aviation Journey

The first time Coal Ridge High School junior Kindall Murr took the controls of a small airplane, she wasn’t thinking about homework or college applications.

She was looking out over the Western Slope from the sky.

"I fell in love with flying," Murr said. "Just seeing the area from above was so cool. Everything about it was so fun. I was like, 'I don't want a boring job. This is what I want to do.'"

That moment helped spark a path toward aviation, one that she is now exploring through a regional aviation ground school program that allows high school students to begin training toward becoming pilots.

Through the AERO’z aviation class, offered through the Colorado River BOCES EPIC program (Educational Pathways to Innovative Careers), students from Garfield Re-2 and several other school districts across the Western Slope are learning the fundamentals of aviation and preparing to take the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge Exam.

According to Kate Short, aviation instructor for Aspen School District, the program is the result of a unique regional partnership.

“The AERO’z aviation class is a project created in collaboration with the team at Colorado River BOCES, Aspen School District, Colorado Mountain College, and Aspen Flight Academy, along with the help and support of many local pilots and aviation enthusiasts,” Short said.

This semester, 14 students from seven different high schools across the Western Slope are participating in the course. Short said some students in the program have already begun flight training, while others plan to start later this semester.

“This course will prepare them for their flight training, having mastered many of the fundamentals of flight, including aerodynamics, flight planning and more,” Short said.

Rifle High School junior Andon Robinson said his interest in aviation began with a family connection.

"My grandpa flew helicopters in Vietnam," Robinson said. "He wanted to get all of his grandchildren an hour flight in a helicopter. So last summer I took an hour flight in a helicopter and it really sparked my interest in flying."

After learning about the aviation class at a local career expo, Robinson decided to enroll.

Students in the program quickly discover that flying involves much more than simply piloting an airplane.

"I think it just surprised me, all the things that you have to learn with aviation," Robinson said. "You basically have to be a meteorologist. There's so much that you need to know."

Robinson hopes to continue pursuing aviation after high school, with the goal of pursuing a career in aviation.

"At the end of the day, I do want to be a commercial pilot," he said.

Through the program, Murr is completing the coursework required for ground school while exploring the many career opportunities available in aviation.

"I was thinking about putting out fires like slurry bombing," she said. "But there are a lot of paths that I could take."

Murr hopes to complete her pilot’s license shortly after graduating from high school.

"If I leave with a pilot's license, I'm essentially starting college as a sophomore because I already have all that schooling," she said.

Learning new skills and exploring opportunities

Coal Ridge High School students Xander Arnette and Cayden Glassmire say the program offers a chance to explore aviation while gaining valuable knowledge and experience.

"It's really fun," Arnette said. "You get a lot of interesting opportunities."

Glassmire said the program also provides access to experiences that would normally be difficult for students to afford.

"We're getting free flight simulator training, and then they're letting us do a free in-person flight lesson too," he explained.

Students meet weekly for virtual sessions and complete online learning modules designed to prepare them for the written portion of the private pilot exam.

Along the way, the students are developing a more profound appreciation for the complexity of aviation.

Glassmire explained the process of risk assessment during flight. 

"When you're flying, there are so many levels of decision-making, down to which cloud is safe to fly through and which ones are dangerous.”

Programs like the aviation ground school help students explore real career pathways while they are still in high school.

Short said the program gives students an early start toward careers in aviation.

“Upon high school graduation, students will be able to take this knowledge and continue their training with collegiate and professional flight training programs to prepare them for a career as a pilot,” she said.

For Robinson, the opportunity is about discovering what is possible.

"I think it's a great opportunity to learn," he said. "Not only if you want to pursue a career, but just understanding how flying works and what goes into it."

For students across Garfield Re-2, the program offers something even more powerful: the chance to imagine a future that might take them far beyond the classroom.

Sometimes, that future might begin in the cockpit.