On Dec. 17, 2025, a second airplane was presented in Kill Devil Hills at the historic Wright Brothers National Memorial. First Flight High School (FFHS) students ripped the parachute off their newly complete Vans RV-12 aircraft during an annual ceremony commemorating the anniversary of Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first flight.
Since fall 2023, FFHS has offered an aviation class for juniors and seniors instructed by retired Rear Admiral Joey Tynch, who served in the United States Navy for 33 years. From the beginning, the goal was to tap into the local history and build a plane right where the Wright brothers first flew theirs.
The class uses Tango Flight, which is an aviation-focused curriculum providing students with the tools to build and fly a two-seat airplane, exposing them to the disciplines of aerospace, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and design engineering.
FFHS is across the street from the Wright Brothers National Memorial, so the partnership was a natural fit.
“From our perspective, what an awesome and amazing idea, what a unique way to connect our local students to the history and the stories right in their backyard, literally right out the back door of a school,” said Scott Babinowich, a ranger with the National Park Service.
“Their achievements are extraordinary, and they reflect something even more important, a great thing that happened here through partnerships,” said Dave Hallac, superintendent of National Parks of Eastern North Carolina.
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Dr. Steve Basnight, superintendent of Dare County Schools, remarked on the essential collaboration with the National Park System. The Wright Brothers National Memorial eagerly agreed to house the program at the Memorial, rangers worked to covert a shed on the property into an aviation lab for students, and staff also created a video series documenting the two-year journey with FFHS.
Progress begins when someone dares to try. The Wright brothers remind us that innovation begins with curiosity, perseverance, and the courage to try. Every plane that lifts off today carries with it the legacy of the first 12 seconds right here behind me. But no other plane will carry the legacy of this one.
— Dr. Steve Basnight, superintendent of Dare County Schools
It was a morning of thanks from Dr. Shannon Castillo, CTE director at DCS, who took the idea and found a curriculum and instructor to teach, to the aviation mentors that would come in on a weekly basis and help students with construction.
Students from all four classes, including some who have graduated, came back for the unveiling. The mentors, including retired general contractors, engineers, and overall aviation enthusiasts sat with the aviation students during the ceremony.
Tynch said, “‘We’ve asked, why not you? Why not now?’ almost daily for the last two and a half years, and our students — your sons and daughters — have accepted that challenge.”
“Our 22 graduates have done remarkable things. We have five in pilot training, four in four-year colleges, two high end welders, two in the military, one in an aviation maintenance program in Currituck, another one en route there, (and) six in the local workforce and going to community college,” said their instructor. “And I am so proud of every student that’s been in our class.”
Leadership from Catawba County Schools were in attendance, in the hopes of bringing this type of instruction to their district.
National Parks are not just places of beauty and historical importance. They are places to connect with our nation’s stories, to learn from our past, and to be inspired. This partnership with Dare County Schools testifies to the power and importance of our public lands and preserving and telling our collective stories.
— Scott Babinowich, NP Ranger and Chief of Interpretation, Education and Visitors Services for Outer Banks Group
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