Update #10

This is our news as of September, 2001

We start our fifth year!

Mr. Charlie Bernert, a businessman from Seattle, has hangars at Apex Airpark in Silverdale, Washington. He has graciously offered us the use of one of them to store, assemble, work on, and complete our CH-701. While we are starting the full-scale construction of our CH601-XL, there remains a lot to do on our 701. We need to assemble our controls, install our instruments, install our engine, finish assemble (there's always a lot to finish before flight), test, and finally fly. We appreciate this hospitality and generosity on the part of Mr. Bernert.

     Several things have happened since June: a trip to Oshkosh, a grand start to the fourth year of our project, a grant of $2000, and a few new partnerships. The project seems to keep growing in scope as it maintains its original aims of teaching technical skills to secondary students in an engaging manner.
     First, Mr. Steed and his son Colin took a road trip to Wisconsin. They left in plenty of time to visit the sites of Custer's Last Stand, Mr. Steed's childhood home, some relatives, and Airventure 2001, the annual Experimental Aircraft Association convention.
     At Airventure Mr. Steed talked to vendors, took photos of a completed CH-701 and CH-601XL, talked to the Heinz family (the designer and builders of the Zenith airplanes, and tried to find a donor of an engine. In all but the last effort the trip was a great success.
     One notable bright spot was meeting three different educators that wanted to build airplanes in their schools much as we have. One of these teachers would like to collaborate on curriculum to export to other schools. We may collaborate in this effort and pass on our acquired knowledge.

At the start of the school year we were notified that we had won a grant from the Northern Life Insurance Company (otherwise known as ING Northern Annuity). Through their Education's Unsung Heroes Awards program Mr. Steed and Mr. Smith were awarded $2,000 to further the aims of the project. The monies will go toward buying the necessary raw materials, mostly rivets and sheet aluminum, that the 601 will require this year.

The year has started with a great class of metal bendin' students. Some are brand new, some are here for the third time, some are in 7th grade, and for some, 7th grade is a dimming memory (for Mr. Steed it occured in 1964 . . . ) There are students, mentors, parents, and grandparents attending, building, and learning. We are fabricating pieces for the 601, starting to collect those pieces into assemblies, and on one table, laying out the first skin of the aircraft.
It is an exciting time. Since nearly completing the airframe of the 701 we have a much better idea of where we are in the process, and what we need to do to complete our 601. This time we can not only see where we are, but also where we are going.

If you would like to contact us please email Mr. Smith or Mr. Steed We would really like to hear from you.

If you would like information on how to start a program like this at your school, visit our how to page.

Webmaster: erik MAX henne

Last Updated: 07/11/05

Disclaimer: This page is the product of the Central Kitsap Junior High School Project SchoolFlight.

Home, Progress, Profiles, Gallery, Links, How to, Thanks.