SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – The skies over Springfield will be active with the next generation of aviators this summer as the Aviation Careers Education (ACE) Academy returns to Hartness State Airport from July 27-31.
The five-day, hands-on program invites students ages 12-16 to step out of the classroom and into the cockpit. Hosted by the Vermont Aviation Advisory Council Inc. in partnership with the New England Soaring Association (NESA) and the FAA, the academy is designed to bridge the gap between a love of flight and a future career in aviation and aerospace.
Students experience a packed schedule that includes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) workshops; hands-on sessions in model rocketry, wing-rib construction, and sheet-metal riveting; and introductory flights in gliders and various powered aircraft. On a day trip to Lebanon, N.H., students will visit the airport control tower, Cape Air, TSA, Lebanon Airport Management and Maintenance, Sharkey’s Helicopters, White Mountain Holdings corporate flight department fixed-base operator Granite Air Center, and the DHART Medivac operation at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. At Hartness State Airport there will be presentations by Beta Technologies, GE Aerospace, Vermont State University’s professional pilot technology program, Vermont Flight Academy, Scotts Miracle-Gro corporate flight department, and balloonist Paul Stumpf.
“Our goal is to introduce as many youth as possible to the vast world of aviation and aerospace careers,” say organizers. To ensure broad access, the program prioritizes new participants, offering them a first look at the principles of flight, navigation, and preflight safety.
Applications for the 2026 session are now being accepted, and families and students can find more information and download the application at the New England Soaring Association’s ACE Academy website, www.flynesa.com/ace.
ACE Academy is a nationally recognized program supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Vermont Agency of Transportation with assistance from the Hypertherm Hope Foundation and the Timken Company Charitable and Educational Foundation. ACE Academy serves as a critical pipeline for the aerospace industry, inspiring youth to pursue one of many careers in aviation and aerospace.