Students at St. Columban’s College in Caboolture have achieved a remarkable feat by inventing the VANS RV 12iS, an aircraft that has defied gravity and soared, showcasing years of dedication and innovative creativity.
After five years of hard work, the two-seat plane was finally unveiled at Caboolture Aerodrome on Friday, 22 March 2024, to cheering crowds. This achievement, planned and built by students working with Flight Youth Engineering, is a major turning point for the school and Australian educational aviation programmes.
The students showed off their skills and hard work by building the VANS RV 12iS, the first of its kind to be built by an Australian school as part of the Flight Youth Engineering programme. It has now been flown for more than 25 hours.
Plans are in place to store the plane at Redcliffe Aerodrome so anyone can use it. On the other hand, Flight Youth Engineering will sell the plane and use the money to fund a trust. These funds will be set away to help St. Columban’s students build planes in the future, keeping education and aviation moving forward.
Flight Youth Engineering was very helpful in getting the aeroplane kit from the U.S. and gave important advice and support throughout the project.
Mentors Paul Reddish, Ashley Miller, Michael Allen, and Richard Raymond played big parts. They helped students figure out how to build aeroplanes and encouraged a culture of learning and creativity.
“We’re trying to turn them into their own manufacturing plant for this kind of product, and along the way, they’re getting experience they would never get,” Paul Reddish said about how the programme had changed his life.
Mr Reddish talked about the successes of similar schemes in the United States, where students who worked on building aeroplanes had better chances of doing well in school and the workplace.
Principal Michael Connolly expressed immense pride in the students’ accomplishments, emphasising that their achievements surpassed mere aircraft construction. He highlighted the significance of the project as an educational journey, engaging young minds through practical, hands-on learning experiences.
Mr Connolly emphasized that nurturing students’ skills and knowledge in such a dynamic manner is a powerful educational approach.
Despite the challenges, such as COVID-related delays in supplies from the US and health restrictions in Australia, the St. Columban’s programme persevered. Principal Connolly commended the students and teachers for their resilience, emphasising that the lessons learned from this initial aircraft build will pave the way for smoother future projects.
Published Date 01-April-2024
Photo Credit: St. Columban’s College
