Aviation as an industry is parched for workers across the nation, and rural Alaska is no exception. Air carriers along Norton Sound are in near-constant need of pilots and mechanics, many of whom come from different regions of Alaska or out-of-state. The problem is, many rural Alaskans lack clear access to affordable, aviation career pathways. Recently, however, several entities have been collaborating to make headway.
Domenic Giunta founded IDIYA Labs—a company which fosters fabricators, hobbyists, artists, entrepreneurs, and DIYers. He has worked with the Alaska Airmen’s Association (AAA) over the last handful of years to provide Alaskan youth with aviation-related STEM projects and equipment. In 2019, he began working to equip teachers throughout the Bering Strait School District (BSSD) with the tools and training needed to facilitate these projects with kids in their villages. The idea was to get students excited about flying, so they might pursue aviation further. Unfortunately, the onset of the pandemic halted his progress.
While Giunta’s work was put on hold, Doug Walrath, who directs the Northwestern Alaska Career and Technical Center (NACTEC) in Nome, secured a 2.5-million-dollar Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) grant for Aviation Pathways training in partnership with Kawerak, Inc., the regional non-profit corporation organized by the Bering Straits Native Association. Walrath allotted 1.2 million dollars of these funds to purchase 33 Basic Aviation Training Devices (BATD) and Advanced Aviation Training Devices (AATD) for the fifteen BSSD schools. Simulators have been installed in Diomede, Brevig Mission, Elim, Gambell, Golovin, Koyuk, Savoonga, Shaktoolik, Shishmaref, St. Michael, Stebbins, Teller, Unalakleet, Wales, White Mountain, and Nome.
In 2022, Walrath informed Giunta that NACTEC was prepared to use grant funding to host IDIYA’s training program at their newly modernized facility in Nome. The virus had receded in severity to the point where 12 teachers would be able to fly in from villages across the region. So, Giunta recommitted to the project and invited the Alaska Airmen’s Association to attend the week-long training and document the experience.
Over the course of several days, Giunta demonstrated how each teacher could use free Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and a 3D-printer in the classroom to fabricate model bush planes out of plywood and foam insulation. Students would be able to manipulate the airfoil on the wings to learn how different designs affect lift and drag, altering in-flight characteristics. Once the aircraft was printed and assembled, they would attach propellors to small motors which were then wired through a wingtip. The wire would extend from the wing to a PVC pole and a power supply. When the electricity was turned on, the planes would take flight in circles around the pole. The activity is designed to be molded to different ages and interests. Young students could simply build a plane and marvel at its flight. Older students could learn basic aeronautical physics by altering airfoil design, modifying aircraft control surfaces, and experimenting with weight and balance.
Giunta’s activity is intended to offer teachers a tool to inspire their students to learn more about aviation. Once a student decides they are interested in flying, fabricating, or wrenching, NACTEC is well equipped to nurture each of these passions. Mechanic Helper and pilot ground school programs are in the works, and multiple scholarships exist to support funding any aviation pursuit. There are still gaps and obstacles at the beginning of the aviation career path in rural villages, but programs like Giunta’s and schools like NACTEC are making a palpable difference.