Airplane parts and large pieces of equipment line the walls of the brand-new hangar, and someday soon a small, high-winged aircraft will call the space home, too.
But, this isn’t an airport — it’s a high school.
Lincoln North Star High School on Monday unveiled a new $5.4 million hangar-style addition to house the school's burgeoning Aviation and Technical Education Focus Program, which aims to train the next generation of pilots, technicians, engineers, dispatchers and flight instructors.
It’s a pathway that has become increasingly popular at Lincoln Public Schools, which is why the district built the new space — referred to as the "K" Wing — for the program.
The aviation pathway was piloted in 2019 with about 150 students enrolled initially. Attendance grew to 215 students by 2021, and it was clear the program needed a new space.
So, the multi-million dollar project began, moving the aviation department from a small space shared with mechanics and carpentry classes to a brand new addition built near the front of the school.
“My last classroom, to put it affectionately, was a busted can of biscuits,†said Amanda Woodward, the career and technical education teacher at North Star who helps run the program.
“We don't have cutting wood or motor oil or anything like that in the same room as the flight simulators anymore. Everybody has their own space and everything is good that way.â€
Because of the upgrades, the program is now able to help more than 300 students learn about and pursue careers in aviation.
Woodward and Duncan Aviation are also working to purchase a small aircraft, such as a Cessna 151 or 152, to allow students to have hands-on experiences with a real plane. The plane would be adjusted for safety to ensure it can't be turned on accidentally and will likely never fly again once it's placed inside the hangar.
The addition was made possible by a $3.3 million donation from Duncan Aviation, which partnered with North Star to help create the focus program. Only about $1.5 million of the funds came from LPS.
The new 13,000-square-foot space also will house the Boys and Girls Club of Lincoln and Lancaster County. The club, which also made a donation to help fund the renovations, offers a variety of after-school and summer programs.
Previously housed in the library, the club now has its own designated space that can be used by other classes during the school day.
The hangar portion of the space, however, is fairly unique, according to Superintendent Paul Gausman.
“I welcome you to one of the only public school airplane hangars in the nation,†Gausman told a crowd at Monday's open house showcasing the recently finished space.
Community members and LPS officials gathered at North Star on Monday night to get a first look at the aviation program’s new home, which was a night Woodward had been looking forward to for some time.
“The community’s support is just incredible. I was so excited to see how many people were in here tonight. It was packed wall to wall,†Woodward said. “I've never felt more love and support and excitement before.â€
But Woodward isn’t the only one excited about the new space — her students are too.
“This facility is awesome,†said senior Julio Ramirez.
Ramirez, who joined the program his sophomore year, once dreamed of becoming a professional skateboarder, but an injury made that goal change in an instant. Now, he’s found a new passion: Aviation.
Thanks to Woodward’s encouragement, Ramirez hopes to become a commercial pilot, a dream he has every intention of achieving.
Next semester, he will spend three periods of every day at an internship with Duncan Aviation, the final capstone to the program.
And, after graduating in May, Ramirez will work to receive the required licenses to become a pilot. Someday, he hopes to fly cargo planes for companies like FedEx.
But none of this would have been possible if it weren’t for Woodward, he said.
“Woodward set me on the right path,†he said. “She told me what I needed to do to get things done, she told me where I can make the most money and she told me where I was going to have a successful and happy life. And this is where I'm gonna have that.â€
Guests walk by the newly completely hangar-style addition at Lincoln North Star High School during an open house Monday. The $5.4 million expansion will house the school's aviation focus program.
Sophomore Isaiah Unterseher (right) mans the control of a flight simulator while his brother Carter, 7, watches the monitor during an open house for the newly completed "K Wing" at Lincoln North Star High School on Monday.