Reach for the Sky! Building Success, One Step at a Time
for AviNation Magazine
by Paul Maloy
Near the beginning of the 2019 school year, an already tall seventh grader named Grant Hamblin of Bountiful, Utah, decided to check out the after-school aviation club. “I thought it might be kind of fun to learn something about airplanes,” Grant said. Not only did aviation capture his imagination, but suddenly, Grant found himself thinking about how cool it would be to actually have an aviation-related job.
Later that school year when it came time to choose an American invention research theme for his American History class, Grant made a deal with another student to get “Airplane” as his topic. “I really wasn’t into writing but I enjoyed the research, and ended up putting more work into a pop-up cover, than the actual report,” said Grant remembering that assignment.
Laughing, his history teacher quipped, “When I saw the ingenuity and effort of how Grant created a 3D, pop-up of the Wright Brothers airplane for the cover of his report, I knew he was going to get an A on the assignment.” His teacher also said that even though Grant’s writing was passable the pop-up cover became the stuff of legend as he used it as an example for other students of what motivated creativity could do.
Seeing his enthusiasm for aviation, Grant’s history teacher then set up a special Young Eagle flight through EAA Chapter 23. Going up on a nice Spring afternoon in a beautiful, hand-built Vans RV8 flying out of South Valley Regional (U42) in Salt Lake County kept Grant grinning from ear to ear. Upon landing, the EAA pilot reported, “Young Grant did about 90 percent of the flying. He’s a natural!”
Following that experience Grant decided to get more involved with Chapter 23 at Bountiful Skypark Airport (KBTF). Through his connection with Chapter 23, Grant flew with Chapter President Max Cloward to AirVenture Oshkosh 2023 in Cloward’s recently completed Vans RV7A. While there, Grant volunteered at the Youth Welcome Center and the AeroEducate Center and enjoyed the daily airshows and hundreds of exhibits, special guest speakers, including meeting Mac Rutherford the youngest person ever to fly solo around the world at age 17.
“Right now, I’m focusing on getting my PPL, then working towards becoming an aeronautical engineer,” says Grant. Making progress towards those goals means Grant currently holds the number one spot in the world in EAA’s AeroEducate program having completed 106 activities and earning 20 of 22 digital achievement badges.
Now a senior at Woods Cross High School in Utah, Chapter 23 awarded Grant with a Ray Scholarship earlier this year to help him continue his flight lessons. Grant Soloed in a Piper Warrior at KBTF on September 12, 2024
With direct support from his EAA chapter and his commitment to doing as much as possible in AeroEducate, Grant is working hard to make his aviation dreams and goals become reality.
Decades ago, EAA Founder Paul Poberezny knew what he was talking about when he said, “Aviation seeds must be transplanted to future generations if we are to see our rich heritage passed on for others to see, to feel, to touch, to fly.” Poberezny inherently understood the vital importance of directly sharing aviation with youth as the mechanism to protect and grow the future of aviation and aerospace.
At the end of Grant’s junior year of high school his parents gave him the same opportunity they offer all their children. “We will take you anywhere you want to go in the world for a senior experience,” said Mrs. Annalisa Hamblin, Grant’s mom.
Grant already knew where he wanted to go. “I want to go back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin to the AirVenture Fly-in and Expo!”
Grant’s mom and dad were surprised! They were thinking their son would request a location more like London, Paris, Rome, Japan, or Australia.
“Nope. I just wanted to go back to the Oshkosh AirVenture again, where I had so much fun in 2023.”
And they did exactly that, organizing a five-day trip to go to AirVenture 24.
At the end of each July the world’s largest aviation fly-in, expo, and air show turns an otherwise quiet spot in Wisconsin into the busiest airport on the planet! Acres of grass fields turn into fun communities as hundreds of thousands of eager people fly or drive to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
“It’s a sight and an experience you have to see to believe!” said Grant. “There is just so much aviation all around you with aircraft flying almost non-stop from 7am to 7pm, or later if you count the nighttime air and fireworks show on Wednesday and Saturday nights.”
Grant continued, “AirVenture is like Mecca for people who love aviation. You have to go at least once in your life, and a lot of people make it an annual pilgrimage because it’s just so awesome!”
Grant’s parents also attended the AirVenture expo and the Saturday airshows so they could enjoy the night fireworks show that deployed lighted drones, fireworks, and aerobatic aircraft shooting fireworks from their wings and fuselages, all at the same time!
“AirVenture is simply an incredible event and experience that gets me excited to continue making my way forward in aviation,” said Grant. “And in the meantime, I have enjoyed working through the AeroEducate online program and all of its activities.”
Danielle Schmick, EAA’s program manager for AeroEducate said, “No matter where you live, youth all over the world can explore aviation through our interactive, youth aviation website at www.AeroEducate.org. And it’s totally FREE! No ads and no spam! How awesome is that?”
AeroEducate is specifically designed to allow kids from as young as 5 years old and all the way to high school graduation, to explore aviation and aerospace science and technology and all the different career opportunities available through lots of different activities.
“AeroEducate.org has more than 200 activities organized by age/grade levels, so anyone can enjoy the information and tasks that suit their level of choice. Students choose where to start and which activities to do.” Danielle says. “As these young people complete different activities they earn cool digital achievement badges, kind of like Scout merit badges, but all about aviation and aerospace. Plus, every time a student earns a new digital achievement badge, they can print a certificate to hang up and show others what they’ve learned and earned.”
No matter what your interest in aviation/aerospace is, AeroEducate has something for you to explore. You can choose activities that help you explore flight, aviation technology, community aviation experiences, and a variety of aviation careers. In the career section you can explore aeronautical engineering, air traffic control, aviation maintenance, aviation business management, and of course, the many professional pilot options as well.
The vision of EAA’s AeroEducate youth aviation resource hub is to provide a fun way to actively encourage youth to engage in the exploration of aviation/aerospace, inspiring them to consider what real options can be, and then support and empower students to make good decisions to achieve their dreams in aviation/aerospace.
High school juniors and seniors, like Grant, will especially see multiple benefits unique to AeroEducate in that they get several take-aways: industry knowledge and skills, a printable AeroEducate transcript of completed activities and earned badges, an aviation/aerospace focused résumé, a written plan of action for how to accomplish their dreams reviewed by a qualified industry mentor, and finally, access to scholarships and schools to create a clear path to their dream job in aviation/aerospace.
Throughout the US there are millions of excellent teachers who are doing their best to teach and inspire students, opening pathways into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) career fields. Unfortunately, most educators and guidance counselors are themselves too often unaware of the enormous and exciting opportunities within aviation and aerospace, or unsure how to guide their students into specific career pathways. Sometimes, the simple answer seems to be, go military. While this is in no way a bad recommendation, it is far from the only option that will propel a young person into a career in aviation or aerospace.
Grant considered going into the US Air Force, even choosing to go to a charter school military academy for his 8th grade year. Ultimately, Grant decided a different path would be better for him. “There were some great experiences at that school, but in the end, I didn’t think going the military route was for me.”
As he is now applying to colleges, Grant is still considering his options. “I’m still trying to decide whether I want to become a commercial airline pilot, or maybe go into engineering and see where that might lead me.”
The reality is Grant will find plenty of opportunity in either direction because there is a growing talent shortage throughout the aviation and aerospace industries. Understanding that aviation is a backbone industry of both the US national economy and the success of the global economy overall, companies and organizations are highly aware of the looming and growing talent shortage to maintain and grow their industries.
So, why is there a problem? Simply put, there are not enough students moving towards STEM careers let alone specifically into aviation and aerospace jobs. A couple of common reasons are, students too often feel intimidated by STEM subjects, and then even if they enjoy STEM classes, students are typically unfamiliar with STEM career opportunities and the potential earning power of careers in aviation/aerospace.
One of the things Grant did to help was to start an afterschool aviation club at his high school. Grant worked with the school administration and started the club this school year “so other students who enjoy aviation would have a place to gather and talk and do aviation things.”
Grant sees the opportunities of a great future in aviation. “Whether I become a professional pilot or an aeronautical engineer, or just fly for fun while I do something else in engineering, I see aviation as a big, ongoing part of my life. Aviation was shared with me and I intend to share aviation with others throughout my life.”
It’s a great goal Grant! Go for it!
