Local youth to take flight: ACE Aviation Academy Returns to Hartness Airport in July
Press release | Mar 25, 2026 | Comments 0
2019 ACE Academy alumnus Ben Berg of Brattleboro is New England Soaring Association’s first ‘homegrown’ tow pilot. He attended ACE Academy at 13, made his first solo flight in a glider at 14, became a certificated glider pilot at 16, and now holds tailwheel, complex and high-performance endorsements in powered airplanes.
The five-day, hands-on program invites students ages 12 to 16 to step out of the classroom and into the cockpit. Hosted by the Vermont Aviation Advisory Council in partnership with the New England Soaring Association and the Federal Aviation Administration, 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 STEM workshops, hands-on sessions in model rocketry, wing rib construction and sheet metal riveting, as well as 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, Transportation Security Administration, Lebanon Airport Management and Maintenance, Sharkey’s Helicopters, fixed-base operator Granite Air Center and the DHART Medivac operation at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
At Hartness State Airport, there are presentations by Beta Technologies, GE Aerospace, VT State University’s Professional Pilot Technology program, VT Flight Academy, Scotts Miracle-Gro corporate flight department and balloonist Paul Stumpf.
According to the organizers, “Our goal is to introduce as many youth as possible to the vast world of aviation and aerospace careers.” To ensure broad access, the program prioritizes new participants, offering them a first look at the principles of flight, navigation and pre-flight safety.
Click here for more information and to download the application form.
ACE Academy is a nationally recognized program supported by the 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.
Filed Under: Community and Arts Life • In the Community
