Kingfisher High School teacher Kurt Kaya discussed with the Lions Club last week one of the electives he’s teaching at the school. Kaya heads the school’s aviation classes, which are currently in their second year being available to KHS students. The class is in conjunction with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) “You Can Fly” program and it is funded through CareerTech. It’s a four-year program that takes students through the process of introducing them to the topic, providing guidance and assistance to those who want to pursue a pilot’s license, the different areas in which pilots can pursue a career (drone pilot or airplane pilot) and eventually the actual practice of flying. Throughout the course of Kaya’s classes, he uses a combination of visits to airports, museums, military bases and has guest speakers as students explore the worlds of both commercial and general aviation. The program last year had fewer than 10 students. This year, the number of new students enrolled is more than 20. Kaya said he was recently awarded an $8,000 grant through the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission Aviation Education Program and bought three flight simulators with the funds. While that’s an adequate number for the second-year students who are now able to use simulators, he said he’ll need to seek funding for more equipment once this year’s group of first-year students becomes ready next year. Also, as the program progresses, students will be required to fly with certified flight instructors (CFIs). “Right now there are no CFIs or a flight school that’s based out of Kingfisher, so our students will have to travel to get that required training,” he said. “That will impede our progress in the next couple of years, so we are always open to suggestions.” [KT&FP Staff Photo]