Keeley Meyer, one of two girls in the first class of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program at the Technical Academy, with her father David Meyer. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – Westfield Technology Academy principal Stefan Czaporowski welcomed the public yesterday to the grand opening of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program, noting that WTA is the first high school in New England to have a soon-to-be Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified program.
Czaporowski said his day started at 3 a.m. Monday by moving the newly acquired Piper Cherokee 140 airplane from Barnes Airport to the school. A Black Hawk helicopter also landed in the field as part of the celebration.
Czaporowski gave a brief history of the program, which he said began when he met with Ed Watson, WTA general advisory chairman, Rob Ollari, student services coordinator, and Ken Dromgold, aviation program advisory chair, to explore the possibility of bringing one of the world’s fastest-growing careers to the school.
He also talked about the work being done at Hangar 2 at Barnes Airport, which is being restored from the outside-in to its original condition, when Amelia Earhart walked across Hangar 2 and into Barnes Airport. The acquisition of the certificated air-worthy Piper Cherokee and the restoration of Hangar 2 will allow the program to be FAA certified and become a pilot training school.
Mayor Brian P. Sullivan said it was an honor for him to walk down Elm Street at 3 a.m. with the plane, and to celebrate what has put Westfield on the map not only across the state but across the country.
“The students have a great opportunity to take advantage of the work of so many people,” Sullivan said.
Congressman Richard Neal said he could feel the excitement when he walked into the school. Neal said Gov. Charlie Baker talked about the role of vocational education in his State of the State address on Friday, and the shortage of skilled workers for precision manufacturing jobs, which Neal said is predicted to reach 22,000 by the year 2020.
In his address on Friday, Baker announced a series of new initiatives to support career vocational technical education, including $83.5 million to be proposed between the Governor’s FY 2017 budget recommendation and new capital grant funding for vocational equipment to be filed in an economic development bill next week.
“The skill set these young people are going to need is taking place right here at Westfield Technical Academy,” Neal said.
State Rep. John Velis, who also joined the 3 a.m. Piper crew, said he gets asked “in awe” about the program all over the state. Addressing the 14 students in the front row who were selected for the AMT program, Velis said, “Don’t let that be lost on you. You are going to be a part of something really special.”
Galen Wilson, aviation instructor, then introduced the first class of 2019 by name and brought them to the stage, where they received a rousing welcome by those in attendance.
After the program, the ribbon cutting took place in front of the Piper Cherokee, which had been parked outside the front doors of the school.
Aviation Program Advisory Chairman Ken Dromgold, an Air Force veteran who has also flown for Dassault as a demonstration and test pilot, said that everyone on the advisory board worked tirelessly.
“They are all hard-charging professionals, very passionate. They made this happen,” he said.
Dromgold said that 40 students chose AMT as their top pick for a shop this year. Of those 40, 14 were selected for the first class.
“Everyone that was selected tested out at over 110 percent,” Dromgold said.
“I think people are excited for them,” said AMT advisory board member Joe Mitchell. Mitchell said Wilson is exactly the right person to lead the class. He said Wilson, who recently retired from 30 years with the Air Force, will make it “edutainment,” – entertainment that is designed to be educational.
Of the 14 students, two are girls. One of them, Keeley Meyer said that her family encouraged her to get into the program.
“I loved the exploratory,” Meyer said. “He’s a great teacher.”
Meyer’s father David Meyer said there were many opportunities for his daughter through this course, whether in the military or fixing airplanes.
“You never know what the future brings,” David Meyer said. “Technology is so rapidly advancing.”
Jared Fournier, another student in the class, said he and several of his classmates had taken the Wright Flight program at Barnes Airport.
“That got me interested in aviation,” Fournier said, adding that he would like to get his pilot’s license in a few years. “As a career, I want to fix airplanes,” he added.
Mitchell said that down the road, they would like to offer the program to adults as a post-graduate and adult education class in the afternoons and evenings.
“If this is a good idea for 12-16 kids,” he said, “wouldn’t it be nice for another 20-30 adults?”
