The H.M. King High School in Kingsville, Texas, has a TA-4J Skyhawk jet on loan from The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Master Chief Mark Malinowski, Public Affairs Officer at NAS Kingsville said the retired jet was donated to the museum, which in turn lent it to the high school. The jet will be used as a static display-students won’t turn the engine on or dismantle it, Malinowski said. Julie Wallace, Director of the school district’s Office of Career and Technology, said the aviation mechanics course and use of the jet resulted from efforts to establish a corporate partnership with the nearby Naval base. As part of an aviation mechanics course, which meets for two hours a day, students will learn safety, aircraft handling, aircraft inspection, flight line safety and fueling, as well as math and aeronautics theory. During the last six weeks of the school year, the students will work with McDonnell Douglas at NAS Kingsville. The class is so popular that 130 students applied for the course. Only eight were chosen.
The jet is on loan to the school at no cost. The Kingsville school district spent $5,000 to have the hangar painted and a platform built so students would have better access to the aircraft. The course is intended to spark student interest in aviation-related careers and to provide hands-on experience that will give them an edge in pursuing aviation careers. It is believed to be the only such arrangement in the country, according to military officials.
“In a hangar reeking of fresh paint, eight teenagers have been crawling all over H. M. King High’s latest academic prop…” “The guys have really been into it,” said instructor Humberto Garcia. “They all want to get into the cockpit. They’re just as excited as I am.”
Sophomore Thomas Perrigue, 16, is currently getting his pilot’s license and says he wants to be a cropduster. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Perrigue said. “I love it.”
Student Damian Escalon, 18, said he wants to be a naval aviator and fly the T-45s now used at NAS Kingsville. “It’s a great experience for us,” said Escalon, a senior. “I know it’s going to open doors for us out in the world.”