KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (WAVY) — The First Flight High School Aviation Lab launched Tuesday at the Wright Brothers National Memorial (WBNM).

From Tuesday through spring 2025, 24 First Flight High School juniors and seniors will build a Van’s RV-12iS airplane using Tango Flights aviation and a STEM-focused curriculum.

The plane, a two-seat, all-metal side-by-side airplane, will be assembled at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Throughout the process, Dare County Schools and WBNM will share milestone videos online. They’ve created a special National Park Service website for the project, at this link. The Updates will also be posted to the DCS website at www.daretolearn.org.

At the end of the two-year project, the student-built plane will be Federal Aviation Administration tested and certified before taking its first flight at the Wright Brothers National Memorial First Flight Airport.

The school announced in December that it would offer a new aviation class beginning with the current school year that would give students the chance to build an FAA-certified plane.

“This program connects our heritage with our future,” Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight said in December. “The dream that the Wright Brothers had, is being reborn for these aviators of tomorrow right here in our schools. It just doesn’t get any better than that.”

This student-built airplane will be the first modern plane constructed at WBNM.